Biometrics refers to measurable physical characteristics that are unique to an individual, such as fingerprints, facial structure, the iris, voice, and heart-rate sensors.

Identification and authentication are key uses for biometric devices and systems. Biometric devices are used for security, banking, mobile access and authentication, law enforcement, public transportation, education, home assistants (like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant), and building access.

Smartmatic or Smartmatic SGO Group builds and implements electronic voting systems. The company develops products for government use, such as identity management systems for civil registration, smart city solutions, and authentication systems.

Founded in 2000 in Palm Beach, Florida, Smartmatic has carved a niche in public safety and security, identity management, intelligent transportation solutions, and records management. It also co-founded the Centre of Excellence for Internet Voting in 2014. Among the places that have employed Smartmatic in their voting processes are Venezuela, Kenya, and the Utah Republican Presidential Caucus. The business takes pride in operating the fastest biometric voter registration system in the world. The company boasts of having operated the world’s fastest biometric voter registration.

The year 2022’s elections in Kenya featured a low voter turnout. Voters may choose not to cast their ballots in person at the polling places for a variety of good reasons. Despite this, they are still entitled to cast a ballot. Making sure that everyone has the opportunity to vote is the main priority for all election officials. Any voter can securely cast a ballot from their homes or any other location with the help of Smartmatic’s technologies, including telephone voting, TIVI, and OBD.

Sovereign is an open-source online voting application developed by Democracy Earth Foundation. It allows voters to cast their votes via the internet. The idea, however, has been rubished as a jocke by some critics stating the many loopholes online.

Estonia is the first nation to permit a national election conducted entirely online. Its system, called i-vote, allows voters to cast their votes from anywhere in the world. The exercise is conducted over an extended period when voters cast a vote for a preferred candidate and are later allowed to change their decision by voting for another candidate of their choice while automatically canceling the previous selection. However, on the final day of the election, voters can still override their earlier selection by casting a paper ballot. 

Other organizations specializing in voting technology include Polyas of Finland, Clear Ballot, established in 2009 and based in Boston; Intelivote Systems Inc., founded in 2003 and based in Canada. Election Runner, established in Texas, will enable users to cast their votes from any place and on any device.