NEWS & EVENTS
Welcome to our news and events section keeping you up to date on all the latest news, press releases and forthcoming events.

OPT2VOTE WINS SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT ELECTRONIC VOTE COUNTING CONTRACT

Awarded £5.2m contract in partnership with Logica

Derry-based election services provider OPT2VOTE Ltd. has won a multi-million pound contract to provide electronic vote-counting services in local government elections in Scotland. The company won the £5.2m contract in a partnership led by Logica, one of the UK’s largest technology companies. OPT2VOTE’s software will be used to prepare ballot papers for printing and to enable the electronic counting of completed ballot papers while Logica will provide implementation and support services before and during elections. The contract covers the local government elections scheduled in all 32 Scottish Councils for May 2012 as well as subsequent by-elections in local authorities until 2015.

Scotland’s Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism Jim Mather said: “Since the problems encountered in the 2007 elections, this Government has taken a series of measures and introduced reforms to ensure there is no repeat. The introduction of the new e-counting system is a major step in that process. Come the election, it will offer greater transparency through better displays of information as the count progresses. The system will have been subjected to rigorous testing to protect against the failures of the past. We have worked closely with our partners in local government to ensure that an effective and transparent e-counting system is in place that meets all expectations”.

“We are delighted to have secured such a high-profile contract”, said Ann Marie Slavin, Managing Director of OPT2VOTE. “The win confirms our position as one of the premier providers of election services in the UK. We are particularly pleased to have won the contract in collaboration with Logica, a long-standing and valued partner with huge expertise in the UK public sector.”

Director of Public Sector at Logica added:

“Scotland is leading the way in eCounting and we are proud to have been chosen to help deliver this cutting edge technology for the 2012 local government elections. We have a truly dedicated team of experts with extensive experience in working with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament. This gives us a unique knowledge and understanding to help us deliver this innovative system. We are confident we can deliver for Scotland.”

The Scottish Government uses the single transferrable vote (STV) system for local government elections in Scotland. Due to the complex calculations involved in the STV system used in Scottish local government elections (the Weighted Inclusive Gregory system), electronic counting is required to deliver an accurate result within a satisfactory timeframe. A manual count would take approximately two to three days. OPT2VOTE and Logica were selected as the preferred suppliers of the electronic counting services after a rigorous competitive tender.

OPT2VOTE APPOINT EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN

Phil Gooch has joined OPT2VOTE Ltd as Executive Chairman. Phil has over 25 years of experience in Business Transformation having held a variety of Consultancy & Management roles in past years. Much of this was in the Private Sector mainly within the Finance industry with a move into the Public Sector in 2004.

In his previous role as MD of Logica’s Public Sector, Phil was responsible for all Central and Local Government business across the UK. His role included forging key strategic relationships with the Ministry of Justice, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the Health and Safety Executive. Phil also liaised with the Learning and Skills Council, Medical Research Council and UCAS. Within the Health sector, Phil had a solid working relationship with the UCLH Trust and was involved in the development of the National Patient Care Records Service for BT, as part of the NHS CfH Programme. At a Local Government level Phil’s remit included work for Barnet, Cardiff, York, Barnsley, Waltham Forest and Wiltshire County Council. In Scotland, Phil was instrumental in building strategic partnerships with Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament.