Today 2266

Yesterday 3028

All 60161719

Saturday, 28.02.2026
Transforming Government since 2001
A unique eGovernment service that helps Montanans to exercise their right to vote is also an award-winner. The Montana Secretary of State's Voter Verification Service was recently honored with an Innovation Award from the Council of State Governments, a national nonpartisan, nonprofit group that serves all three branches of state government.

The Montana Voter Verification service is the first of its kind in the nation. As part of the national Help America Vote Act and Montana state law, citizens are now required to present legal identification at polling stations. The new laws led to a concern that citizens unaware of the recent requirements might not be able to vote if they failed to bring a driver's license with them to the polling station. The Voter Verification Service allows voting officials to verify the identity of voters by searching the state's driver record database over the Internet. If matched in the database, voters are eligible to proceed to the polls.

"It's great for Montana to be recognized for leading the way in technology," said Montana Secretary of State Brad Johnson. "In a state where people often live more than 20 miles from their polling place, this technology allows us to make sure everyone gets a chance to vote on election day."

Montana's Voter Verification Service is available in all 56 Montana counties for primaries as well as the November general election. For additional information about the service, visit the state's official Web site at www.mt.gov.

The Council of State Governments Innovations Awards program was established 30 years ago to recognize exemplary programs in state government. This national awards program receives hundreds of applications each year that are judged on newness, creativity, effectiveness, transferability, and significance. State government leaders review the applications and the winners are chosen by how well the service current addresses issues in state government.

This award-winning service is a result of an alliance between state government and the private sector. The Voter Verification service was cooperatively developed and is supported by the Montana Secretary of State's office, the Department of Justice, the Department of Administration's Information Technology Services Division, and Montana Interactive, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of eGovernment provider NIC (Nasdaq:EGOV).

About Montana Interactive

Helena-based Montana Interactive built, operates, and maintains the state's eGovernment services that are available through the official Web site (www.mt.gov) and is a wholly owned subsidiary of eGovernment firm NIC.

Quelle: Business Wire, 10.02.2006

Go to top