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President Obama's Call to Action for Online Voting-Smartmatic ResponseDuring Friday's South by Southwest event in Austin, Texas, President Obama called for action to make online voting a reality in the United States. Responding to Obama's speech, Antonio Mugica, CEO of Smartmatic, the world's leading voting technology company, showed his support for the President's remarks: "President Obama's call was surprising in only one respect-that it caused a stir. In a world where we can buy a house, take a degree course and access government services online, it does not make sense that elections don't use tried and tested technology. I agree with the President. The future of democracy is digital." President Obama's call for change is backed by recent Smartmatic research. A survey of more than 1,000 registered US voters revealed that 81% of respondents want changes to the current US voting system, and more than 50% agreed tat many people do not vote because the voting process is time-consuming and inefficient. "The good news is that solutions to modernize America's voting systems already exist," Mugica added. "The benefits of using modern technology in elections are obvious and proven all over the world-participation goes up, access becomes easier and transparency is increased. It can be used at all stages of the electoral process from voter registration right through to electronic and online voting." This month, the Utah Republican Party is offering internet voting in order to ensure greater voter participation in the Presidential Caucus process that will take place on March 22nd. The Internet voting system, deployed by Smartmatic, will facilitate the vote for military personnel in country or overseas, voters with disabilities or just anyone who prefers to vote without disrupting their daily routine. "America has pioneered so many technological advances and boasts world-leading innovations," Mugica said. "It should take steps to ensure its voting system can make the same claim." About Smartmatic Founded in the USA in 2000, Smartmatic is the leading provider of voting technologies and solutions worldwide. Today, out of the eight countries pioneering election automation Smartmatic provides technology and services to six of them: Belgium, Brazil, Estonia, the Philippines, USA and Venezuela. The company has managed elections across five continents, processing over 2.5 billion votes. It serves customers through an organization comprising over 600 employees across 12 offices around the world. Smartmatic is headquartered in London, UK. For more information, visit www.smartmatic.com
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