American politics are a complicated process of voting, discussing, counting, tallying, submitting, recounting, and reporting. Microsoft wants to simplify the process by introducing more reliable and intelligent solutions to report the Iowa caucuses. Mobile apps for Android, iOS, and Windows will enable verified poll workers to relay information to central offices for recording and reporting to the public. Previous systems worked on automated phone systems that relied upon dialing the correct numbers with a phone to report the numbers.
The new system will flag potentially anomalous data, which will prompt election officials to contact polling workers to verify correct numbers. The data for both democratic and republican parties will be handled separately by different apps. Microsoft has a long history of handling sensitive enterprise data, so this will be business as usual for them. As technology continues to become a big part of our lives it makes sense to use technology to drive civil engagement and governmental transparency.
