Microsoft Surface tablet tested as a voting device in Virginia

The 2012 U.S. elections is just around the corner. As Americans gear up to vote for their own chosen candidates, Geek Wire is reporting that a Microsoft Surface tablet is now being tested as a balloting device for the state and national elections in Virginia. The test is conducted by Democracy Live, a leading provider of advanced eBalloting and voter information technologies in the U.S. According to the publication, Democracy Live is using its own LiveBallot application on the Surface tablet via a browser, as well as Microsoft’s Windows Azure cloud-based platform.

Basically, the LiveBallot app will be used on the Surface tablet to mark and print ballots for tabulation. The Surface tablet will be used in a precinct in Charlottesville, but Democracy Live CEO Bryan Finney says that the company is planning to work with Microsoft to roll out more Surface tablets. Finney explains that, prior to a larger rollout, it is currently testing Surface tablets in Virginia to get more feedback. “Many balloting computers are older machines running Intel 486-era processors, so the Surface has been in high demand in the precinct so far,” he added.

Gene Ryan Briones
Categories: Tablets
Tags: Microsoft Surface, Surface