October 24, 2005 There is no doubt that one day we will have a more efficient electoral system and a machine that’s hoping to play a big role in the future of e-voting is the eScan Digital Voting System. The company claims the eScan is more accurate and secure than optical scanning systems. Texas-based Hart InterCivic is responsible for the development of the eScan System. The eScan is a precinct-based voting system that digitally captures voter selections on printed ballots and integrates vote totals from other absentee-by-mail and electronic voting systems, including Hart InterCivic's eSlate Electronic Voting System, to produce a single set of election reports.
Hart InterCivic claims the eScan is more accurate and secure than other precinct optical scan systems. The eScan System's security model was developed using best practices based upon the International BS7799 Information Security Standards (see information on Hart InterCivic's BS7799 certification and Symantec Corporation's security risk assessment of Hart's voting technology and their thorough review of Hart's development process. For additional information, view Symantec's white paper on Hart's voting technology titled, "Securing the eSlate Electronic Voting System: Application Security Implementation"
In addition, the eScan System provides an excellent opportunity for second-chance voting. eScan's capabilities include functionality to reject overvoted, undervoted and blank ballots thereby providing second chance voting at the precinct, just as voters would have through the use of the eSlate Electronic Voting System's summary screen. With eScan, voters know instantly if their ballot was accepted or rejected and have the opportunity to change or correct their ballot before it is cast and counted in compliance with Title III, Subtitle A, Section 301 of HAVA.