The routine execution of a second ballot for Mayoral elections proved how important quality information support is for efficient execution of events such as voting. Advanced software, created by Genis, enabled local voting and election committees to prepare all voting activities using the internet, in the same manner and from a single location. During the elections and after closing the polls, built-in functions for calculating quotas and reporting to the members of the election committee provide election results as soon as the electoral rolls are entered.  Citizens could follow activities at the polls using “Local Elections 2006” web portal (http://volitve.gov.si/lv2006/), and within a 15-minute delay they could read results from Genis’ program.

“At Genis, we are proud of our contribution to the successful execution of the local elections,”emphasised Mr Stane Štefančič, Director of Genis.  “In record time we created the most advanced and complex information system ever created or used in Slovenia, to support these elections”. Genis provided broad functionality, simple use and readout methods, both for the candidate selection procedure and for the election results. In addition, numerous considerations, which added to the complexity, had to be taken into account such as variations of the voting system and different structure of the polling stations.

At Genis, we are aware of the importance of this project and managed to deliver it in two months, which is a very short period of time if we consider the demands of creating such vast software. “We were given just the half the time needed for such a complex information solution. We managed it with long hours, working weekends and no holidays,” explained Mr Štefančič. “We were practically the only company capable of doing it in such a short time”. They conducted the project using their own project management methodology; certified last year with the international standard of business quality ISO9001:2000.

Simultaneous to creating the software, Genis provided training for key users from electoral committees and polling stations. “We organised many activities that were not detailed in the tender, especially in the area of training. We trained and introduced the service to around 500 users,” emphasised Mr Štefančič. More than 200 users used the internet and digital certificates for the first time.  Users find it easy to learn and, due to the simple and well-considered internet (web) user interface, they learned it in an extremely short period.

Genis software supporting the local election represents a significant technological milestone. It is based on a centralised system and web-based technologies for remote access.

All data and program inputs are stored in a central location at the Ministry of Public Administration in Ljubljana which guarantees reliable operation and protection from abuse. Users accessed program functionality using web browsers and required authorisation procedures.

Genis high performance hardware is reliable even under the most demanding loads, such as the first leg of elections, when more than 500 users from polling stations around the state were simultaneously accessing it. Despite the large number of the users, the program worked quickly and without disruption. As Genis remarks, due to advanced technologies such as service oriented architecture SOA and virtualisation, these programs would work the same even if the loading was ten times higher.

Genis used their knowledge, experience and competence gained from upgrade projects at the Central Population Register, Register of Civil Status, Register of the Permanent Population and recent Register of Travel Documents.