CHICAGO, IL (June 18, 2018) – For the first time, delegates will use electronic handheld devices to cast votes at the 133rd Annual Meeting, which will be held June 21-23 at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center.
The system developed by the Minneapolis-based company Lumi will be used to cast ballots for executive positions. The devices also may be used at the moderator’s discretion for any other issues or resolutions. Otherwise, voice votes will decide results.
With more than 800 registered voting delegates, use of the voting devices will be much more efficient than paper ballots, which would need to be distributed and counted by hand, said Rebecca Gonzalez, ECC executive director of operations.
The devices will display the voting options, and delegates will press buttons that correspond with their selections. Result will be tabulated instantly and be readily available, at the moderator’s discretion, to be displayed on the large screens.
The system has been used by other denominations and corporations worldwide, Gonzalez said.
The devices will be handed out to delegates each day as they enter the business sessions and collected in the afternoon at the end of the sessions. The system will operate on a frequency that only works inside the ballroom. All votes will be anonymous as the system does not identify individual voters.
Technicians will be onsite to operate the system and provide user support. One tech will sit up front with the executive officers and enter any necessary ballot changes throughout the meeting.
