The Hindu Business Line : Indian start-up helps US voters to register online

WHILE the US presidential elections are now at an exciting phase, an Indian technology start-up is contributing its might by helping online registrations to meet the diverse requirements of various States and providing a facility for `absentee ballot' registration.

The Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of V-Empower Inc, which is based in Maryland and has a development-cum-support centre in Hyderabad, Mr Shukoor Ahmed, told Business Line, "After about 38 months of losses, we are in the process of turning around the company. Through this initiative, we have opened a window for interaction."

Mr Ahmed, who himself contested in Maryland polls twice unsuccessfully, has taken to providing a platform for online registration both in India and the US. In the US, about 70 per cent of the voter registrations are through online support of various forms. Each State has its distinct rules and regulations and it is cumbersome to capture the information they seek from voters.

V-Empower provides the necessary information in a simple manner and thereby facilitates online registrations.

When people are travelling during the elections, they have the facility to enrol for `absentee ballots' online through StateDemocracy.com. The V-Empower portal seeks to provide citizens with seamless access to elected officials at the State and Federal levels.