by The Authority at The Authority’s Substack
Konnech Inc has various products deployed within the U.S. Election Systems and abroad. Some products have to do with oversea voting under UOCAVA provisions, and other products help disabled voters vote without going to a polling location. These products are often connected to the internet via smartphone applications utilizing cloud services that connect to the hardware. Konnech has deployed phone applications for over a decade while most of the public was still learning how to use their smartphones. Konnech has contracts with countless counties all over the United States, deploying their products to this day.
Konnech has many products that connect to the internet, but we will focus on PollChief, an Election Worker Management System (EMS). PollChief helps manage the poll workers, polling locations, campaigns, assets, mail-in ballots, and supplies necessary to run elections in the United States, Canada, and Australia. The Smart Phone Application first surfaced in Hillsborough County, FL, on September 29, 2011.
Konnech offered many products in their early days before entering the Election world, including automated voicemail systems within school districts to notify parents of weather delays and language learning tools to help teach children and foreign exchange students. One city, in particular, has always given Konnech a shot.
The City of Detroit has long advocated for Konnech products from the beginning. IBM purchased ten telephone systems with voice mail features from Konnech’ for Detroit Public Schools in 2002, and in 2004 Konnech began polling surveys for the City of Detroit. The Detroit Public School system also expanded its use of the SchoolBrief (an app web portal to 16 of their 250 schools in 2006. This expanded pilot project covers three high schools, five middle schools, and eight elementary schools. This information regarding their products is available on archived versions of Konnech’s website. I will detail the connections between Konnech and the City of Detroit at another time.
Who gave the green light for Konnech’s ABVote? Detroit.
The original smartphone app that was deployed was named the “UOCAVA M” app created by Konnech and was released on July 4th, 2013, supported by The City of Detroit, Michigan, years prior:…
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