A Clemson University research team has been chosen by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to lead a national effort to make voting systems more accessible.
Juan Gilbert, a professor and chairman of the Human-Centered Computing Division in Clemson’s School of Computing, will direct a three-year, $4.5 million project funded by the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to increase the accessibility of “new, existing and emerging technological solutions” in the design of voting systems.
As leader of the project, Gilbert will coordinate commission research and training efforts nationally, as well as conduct research on voting technology in his Clemson lab.
“Dr. Gilbert has a proven track record in the development of accessible computing solutions, particularly in voting technology,” said Esin Gulari, dean of Clemson’s College of Engineering and Science. “This project fits quite naturally into the work that the Human-Centered Computing Division is doing, and it will help advance that research in ways that would be much more difficult to do otherwise.”
Gilbert is the developer of Prime III, an electronic voting system that combines the accessibility afforded by computer technology with old-fashioned simplicity, including a paper ballot for backup and verification.
“Clemson’s selection by the EAC is a strong vote of confidence in Dr. Gilbert’s research, and an important step forward in research at the university,” said Gerald Sonnenfeld, vice president for research at Clemson. “Federal funding for research is a critical component of university inquiry. We’re proud Dr. Gilbert has been selected to lead this project and very excited by the possibilities this portends for the future.”
Prime III uses a “universal design” to make voting more accessible, not only for the disabled, but for anyone.
“By universal design, we mean an approach that makes it as usable as possible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or situation,” Gilbert said. “That’s how we approach election systems. You don’t have a disability machine, but one single voting machine.”
Full Article: Clemson Newsroom.