VoteHere

VoteHere was an American voting-technology company headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. It began in 1996 as Soundcode, a developer of data-security software, and later redirected its business toward encryption-based online voting. By 1999, the company was pursuing systems intended to support secure remote elections and the verification of electronic voting results. Its founder, president, and chief executive officer was Jim Adler. The company gained early visibility through a series of online and electronic-election deployments. In 2000, it conducted or supported online elections for the Republican National Convention, an Alaska Republican straw poll, and a contract vote for the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace. It also participated in online-voting pilots in Arizona and California. A further pilot took place in Swindon, England, in May 2002. By 2005, VoteHere stated that its technology had been used in approximately 90 private and governmental elections, with much of that activity occurring outside the United States. VoteHere’s principal technology proposition was that electronic elections could combine remote access with cryptographic verification and auditability. Its 2003 product portfolio included VHTi, intended to help confirm the results produced by electronic voting machines; RemoteVote, designed to secure online voting; and MiBT, a mail-in ballot tracking and auditing system. The company worked with voting-equipment vendors including Advanced Voting Solutions and Sequoia Voting Systems. The company also became associated with debates over transparency in election technology. In 2004, it released its source code online, describing the move as the first such release by an online voting company. The disclosure was intended to permit broader scrutiny, although VoteHere’s systems and practices remained subjects of criticism from security researchers, former employees, election-technology observers, and voting-rights advocates. VoteHere received investment or other funding from Cisco, Compaq, and Northwest Venture Associates. The company had raised a reported $15 million by 2002 and secured an additional $4.2 million in March 2005. In March 2005, it changed its corporate name to Dategrity, while VoteHere continued as a division or brand. Dategrity planned to broaden its activities into data and privacy auditing. In 2007, Demoxi acquired approximately 50 patents from Dategrity, including patents related to online voting, while Dategrity said it would continue work on public-election voting. That year, Bellevue-based Election Trust became the exclusive reseller of VoteHere services, a relationship that reportedly created confusion among some local politicians. In 2009, Election Trust acquired selected licenses and patents from Dategrity, including rights associated with a mail-in ballot tracker. Demoxi later changed its name to Identity.net. VoteHere’s history included substantial controversy. A 2001 paper criticized aspects of its system’s privacy and security. Former software engineer Dan Spillane filed a wrongful-termination lawsuit in 2003, alleging that company management disregarded defect reports and concerns about testing and certification; the case was settled later that year. The company’s corporate network was breached in October 2003, prompting investigations by federal and local authorities. VoteHere also lobbied on election legislation in New York during the implementation of the Help America Vote Act. Later, Washington residents and the San Juan County Green Party challenged use of VoteHere-related ballot-tracking technology, arguing that unique bar codes compromised voter privacy. In 2013, the San Juan County auditor abandoned the Mail-in Ballot Tracking system after a judge ruled that its use violated Washington law because it lacked required federal certification. The present operating status of VoteHere as an independent brand is unclear.

VoteHere originated in 1996 as Soundcode, a company focused on data-security software. Around 1999, it shifted toward encrypted online voting and began developing systems intended to make remote elections more secure and auditable. Its early activity included elections and pilots in the United States and abroad, including events connected to the 2000 Republican National Convention, an Alaska Republican straw poll, a professional aerospace engineers’ organization, and election pilots in Arizona and California. A May 2002 pilot in Swindon, England, extended its international profile. By 2003, VoteHere marketed several distinct products. VHTi was intended to verify electronic voting-machine results, RemoteVote addressed security for online voting, and MiBT supported auditing and tracking of mail-in ballots. The company worked with equipment vendors such as Advanced Voting Solutions and Sequoia Voting Systems. VoteHere stated that its technology had been used in about 90 private and governmental elections by 2005, primarily outside the United States. The company’s development was accompanied by public scrutiny. A 2001 paper questioned aspects of the system’s privacy and security. In 2003, former engineer Dan Spillane sued VoteHere, alleging that the company ignored extensive defect reports and concerns about voting-system testing and certification and then dismissed him. The case was settled by November of that year. In October 2003, an intruder breached VoteHere’s corporate network. Federal and local agencies investigated the incident, which occurred while the company was preparing to publish its source code. VoteHere ultimately released its code online in 2004, an unusually transparent step for the online-voting industry at the time. VoteHere’s corporate structure changed in 2005. In March, the company adopted the name Dategrity, with VoteHere retained as a division or commercial identity. Dategrity planned to expand beyond election software into data and privacy auditing, while maintaining public-election work. VoteHere also attracted political attention because of its lobbying activity. In 2005, it paid Mirram Global $10,000 per month to lobby New York legislators during debates over paper ballots and legislation implementing the Help America Vote Act. These activities became part of broader criticism of election-technology companies’ influence over voting policy. The company’s intellectual property was subsequently divided among other organizations. In 2007, Demoxi acquired roughly 50 patents from Dategrity, including online-voting patents, and later changed its name to Identity.net. Dategrity indicated that it would continue public-election work. Also in 2007, Election Trust became VoteHere’s exclusive reseller. In 2009, Election Trust acquired selected Dategrity licenses and patents, including mail-in ballot-tracking technology. VoteHere-related systems continued to face legal and regulatory challenges. In 2009, Washington residents and the San Juan County Green Party sued Washington’s secretary of state and a county auditor, arguing that the use of unique bar codes in systems associated with Hart InterCivic and VoteHere compromised ballot secrecy. In 2013, the San Juan County auditor abandoned the Mail-in Ballot Tracking system after a judge ruled that its use violated Washington law because it lacked federal certification. The available reference material does not establish whether VoteHere continued operating as an independent business after these transactions and disputes.

• 2013

  Mail-in ballot tracker abandoned in San Juan County

  [1]VoteHereen.wikipedia.org

  The county abandons the system following a ruling that its use violated Washington law because it was not federally certified.

• 2009

  Selected licenses and patents transferred

  [1]VoteHereen.wikipedia.org

  Election Trust acquires selected Dategrity licenses and patents, including mail-in ballot-tracking technology.

• 2007

  Patent transfer and reseller arrangement

  [1]VoteHereen.wikipedia.org

  Demoxi acquires approximately 50 Dategrity patents, while Election Trust becomes VoteHere’s exclusive reseller.

• 2005

  Corporate name changes to Dategrity

  [1]VoteHereen.wikipedia.org

  VoteHere becomes a division or brand of Dategrity as the company broadens its planned data and privacy-auditing activities.

• 2004

  Source-code release

  [1]VoteHereen.wikipedia.org

  The company releases its source code online.

• 2002

  Swindon pilot

  [1]VoteHereen.wikipedia.org

  VoteHere technology is used in an online-voting pilot in Swindon, England.

• 2000

  Early online-election deployments

  [1]VoteHereen.wikipedia.org

  VoteHere supports online elections and pilots connected with the Republican National Convention, Alaska, Arizona, California, and a professional aerospace engineers’ organization.

• 1999

  Pivot to encrypted online voting

  [1]VoteHereen.wikipedia.org

  Soundcode shifts its focus toward encryption-based online voting.

• 1996

  Soundcode is formed

  [1]VoteHereen.wikipedia.org

  The business that later became VoteHere is formed as Soundcode to develop data-security software.

VoteHere positioned itself as an early specialist in cryptographically secured, remotely accessible, and auditable electronic elections, emphasizing verification and election-integrity controls.

• Electronic voting verification · 2003

  VHTi

  A VoteHere software product intended to help confirm or audit results generated by electronic voting machines. It formed part of the company’s broader effort to apply cryptographic and verification methods to election technology.

• Online voting software · 2003

  RemoteVote

  A software offering designed to provide security controls for online and remote voting. It represented VoteHere’s central proposition that internet-based elections could incorporate encryption and auditability.

• Mail-in ballot tracking

  MiBT (Mail-in Ballot Tracker)

  A system for tracking and auditing mail-in ballots. Technology associated with the product was later included among licenses and patents transferred to Election Trust, and its use in San Juan County became the subject of litigation and a regulatory ruling.

• 2013

  Regulatory ruling against mail-in ballot tracking

  A judge ruled that use of the San Juan County Mail-in Ballot Tracking system violated Washington law because the system was not federally certified; the county subsequently abandoned it.

  Source

• 2009

  Washington ballot-privacy lawsuit

  Plaintiffs challenged ballot-tracking systems associated with VoteHere, alleging that unique bar codes compromised voter privacy.

  Source

• 2005

  Lobbying controversy

  The company’s payments to Mirram Global for lobbying connected to New York election legislation attracted criticism and became part of debate over election-technology influence.

  Source

• 2003

  Wrongful-termination lawsuit by former engineer

  Dan Spillane alleged that VoteHere ignored defect reports and concerns about voting-system testing before terminating him. The lawsuit was settled by November 2003.

  Source

• 2003

  Corporate network intrusion

  VoteHere’s corporate network was breached, leading to investigations by federal and local law-enforcement agencies.

  Source

• 2001

  Privacy and security criticism

  A paper criticized VoteHere’s system for shortcomings involving privacy and security.

  Source

Read more

• 2005New York election-law lobbying

  United States · New York

  VoteHere paid Mirram Global $10,000 per month to lobby New York state legislators during debates over paper-ballot requirements and legislation implementing the Help America Vote Act.

  Outcome. The available reference does not establish the precise legislative outcome attributable to the lobbying effort.

  Source

• 2013

  Withdrawal of San Juan County ballot trackerOther

  Background

  A court ruled that the county’s use of the Mail-in Ballot Tracking system violated Washington law because it lacked federal certification.

  Action taken

  The county auditor decided to abandon the system.

  Aftermath

  The decision ended the system’s use in that county; the broader operating status of VoteHere is not established by the available material.

  Source

• 2007

  Transfer of Dategrity patents to DemoxiM&A

  Background

  Dategrity held a portfolio of intellectual property covering, among other areas, online voting.

  Action taken

  Demoxi acquired approximately 50 Dategrity patents.

  Aftermath

  Dategrity said it intended to continue public-election work, while Demoxi focused on personal data management.

  Source

• 2007

  Exclusive reseller appointmentM&A

  Background

  VoteHere services continued to be commercialized after the Dategrity reorganization.

  Action taken

  Election Trust became the exclusive reseller of VoteHere services.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement reportedly caused confusion among some local politicians about the companies’ respective roles.

  Source

• 2005

  Rebranding as DategrityStrategy

  Background

  The company sought to extend its work beyond election software into data and privacy auditing.

  Action taken

  It changed its corporate name to Dategrity while retaining VoteHere as a division or brand.

  Aftermath

  The change was followed by patent and licensing transfers and a reseller arrangement involving other companies.

  Source

• 2004

  Public release of source codeStrategy

  Background

  Online voting systems were subject to questions about security, transparency, and independent verification.

  Action taken

  VoteHere released its source code online.

  Aftermath

  The release made the company an early example of an online-voting provider adopting public code disclosure, although criticism of its technology continued.

  Source

• 1999

  Shift from data security to online votingStrategy

  Background

  The company began as Soundcode, a data-security software business, before moving into encryption-based online voting.

  Action taken

  It redirected product development toward secure remote elections and auditable voting systems.

  Aftermath

  The shift established the business’s identity as an early online-voting technology company.

  Source

• 2009

  Election Trust acquires selected Dategrity licenses and patents[1]VoteHereen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Election Trust acquired some Dategrity licenses and patents, including technology for tracking mail-in ballots.

• 2007

  Demoxi acquires Dategrity patents[1]VoteHereen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Demoxi acquired approximately 50 Dategrity patents, including patents related to online voting, while Dategrity retained an intended focus on public-election voting.

• 2007

  Election Trust becomes VoteHere reseller[1]VoteHereen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Other

  Election Trust became the exclusive reseller of VoteHere services, a change that reportedly caused confusion among some local politicians.

• 2005

  VoteHere adopts Dategrity name[1]VoteHereen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  The company changed its name to Dategrity, with VoteHere continuing as a division or brand and the corporate strategy expanding toward data and privacy auditing.

• 2004

  VoteHere releases source code[1]VoteHereen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch · Other

  VoteHere published its source code online, presenting the disclosure as an early example of open source release by an online voting company.

• 2002

  VoteHere conducts Swindon online-voting pilot[1]VoteHereen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch · Other

  VoteHere technology was used in a May 2002 online-voting pilot in Swindon, England.

• 2001

  Criticism of VoteHere voting-system privacy and security[1]VoteHereen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  A published paper criticized aspects of VoteHere’s system, particularly its privacy and security properties.

• 2000

  VoteHere supports three online elections[1]VoteHereen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch · Other

  The company conducted or supported online elections connected with the Republican National Convention, an Alaska Republican straw poll, and a professional aerospace engineers’ union vote, while also participating in pilots in Arizona and California.

1. 1VoteHereen.wikipedia.org