Clemson team’s more secure, accessible voting system demonstrated in Washington

Published: June 13, 2012

CLEMSON — Voters in a national organization are casting their ballots using Prime III, an electronic, accessible voting system created by Clemson University professor Juan Gilbert.

Gilbert, chairman of the Human-Centered Computing division in the School of Computing, was in Washington Wednesday with his team of researchers to again put to use Prime III. The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) is using the voting system to elect officers in its national election Wednesday.

“People from all types of backgrounds and levels of ability can all vote on the same machine as anyone else, and that’s the primary goal.” Gilbert said. “So if you have a disability, you don’t have to use a machine different from someone else.”

Gilbert developed Prime III following the 2000 presidential elections. The tight race between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore led to a recount of votes in swing-state Florida. The election and negative publicity about electronic voting inspired Gilbert to come up with a solution: an easy-to-use, universal voting machine.

Prime III includes advances in accessibility, security, usability and privacy.

Last month, the state of Oregon used the system for its primary elections. 

Don DeFord, grants manager for the Help America Vote Act in Oregon, said Prime III fills a huge gap in accessible voting.

“Previous systems functioned well for voters with vision impairment, but were not truly accessible for voters with severe motor impairment,” DeFord said. “Prime III meets the needs of both groups through its use of vocal responses from the voter. That was for us, the most valuable and impressive feature. “

Prime III allows voters to cast their ballots privately and independently using touch, voice or both. Gilbert said the system helps eliminate uncertainty about election outcomes as voters make their selections electronically and review printed copies before election officials secure their votes in a ballot box.

Gilbert is directing a three-year, $4.5 million project funded by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to increase accessibility of “new, existing and emerging technological solutions” in the design of voting systems.

DeFord said election personnel in Portland found Prime III easy to learn and manage.  

“Our old system was so complicated that most elections staff wouldn’t even take it out or try to use it,” he said. “In just our first trial, more voters were able to use Prime III in five counties for a primary election than when the whole state (36 counties) used our old system in the last general election.”

The National Society of Black Engineers also used Prime III in March. In August, Gilbert and his researchers will travel to Minnesota where some 800 voters are expected to elect officers for Self Advocates Becoming Empowered. The organization fights for what it calls “full inclusion of people with developmental disabilities.”

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The National Council on Independent Living is holding its election from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt Washington. Gilbert and his researchers will meet with Clemson University alumni following the election to share details about Prime III and other work under way in the human-centered computing division at Clemson.