Meet the Team: Director of Certification Dave Wallick
Votem is led by some of the most influential people in the elections, business, and blockchain spaces. This series will bring to light these individuals and their roles at Votem.
Dave has been in the elections business for seven years and was formerly responsible for running and managing the certification process for a competitor. His responsibility will be to lead our certification efforts and ensure our adherence to national and international voting standards.
What brought you to Votem?
Pete’s vision of a fully verifiable and secure online voting system presented a unique challenge to me from a testing and certification perspective. I enjoyed my time with our competitor but found some of the business objectives incompatible with the attempt to certify a truly innovative voting solution. Votem’s desire to incorporate not just US related elections goals but international goals into a single innovative platform while making it certifiable within the US is a once in a lifetime opportunity for someone in my position. I couldn’t pass that up.
What do you see as Votem’s greatest challenge?
Perception and reluctance to embrace new technologies. The pace at which technology in general advances far exceeds that at which the public accepts those technologies in the elections industry. Pushing the envelope in that area while maintaining the public and election administrators’ confidence in the work we are doing will be a continual challenge for Votem.
What is the most common misconception about the voting industry?
That those working in the field are somehow intent on subverting results. In the time I’ve been involved in elections, I’ve seen nothing but some of the hardest working, most sincere, and most dedicated individuals I’ve ever met. They work hard every day, sometimes all day long during an election cycle to produce results the public can trust and believe. This dedication is evident in vendors, election officials, and volunteers equally. It’s truly amazing how hard these people work and with such conviction to common goals.
How do you think Votem can improve upon current voting infrastructure?
I think adding end-to-end verifiability to the voting process so voters can ensure that their vote was cast as intended is the greatest single thing Votem can add to the voting infrastructure. Additionally, I think adding advancements in technology are an added bonus.
What kind of impact do you think Votem can have in the foreseeable future?
Votem will change how we think about access to the ballot and ballot security here nationally. A voter’s ability to be integrally involved in voting process from end to end will hopefully increase interest in elections, increase participation and more importantly increase trust in the results.
