A new online tally system, devised by two IT Sligo staff members, has won a national eGovernment Award at Dublin Castle.
The system was used in conjunction with Ocean FM during the station’s coverage of Local Election Count in Sligo last year.
Edmund Gray and Padraig Harte from the Institute’s Department of Computing and Creative Practice, used Microsoft Cloud Technology which made the tally figures instantly available online to the general public.
The information, which appeared in spreadsheet form, showed the tally of votes for every candidate in every polling booth across county Sligo.
This award for ‘Best Innovation’ was presented to Padraig Harte by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, T.D. at a special ceremony in Dublin Castle on Thursday.
“The system was a big hit with the Sligo public during the election,” said Padraig. “We’re delighted to accept this award in conjunction with Ocean FM. I also want to pay particular tribute to my colleague Edmund Gray, who first mooted the idea.”
The Ireland eGovernment Awards are the recognised benchmark for excellence in Ireland eGovernment services and standards. The Awards raise awareness and recognise the innovators, developers, forward thinkers and experts who are pioneering the changes happening in how the Irish Government delivers services to its citizens.
Photo caption:
Edmund Gray & Padraig Harte from IT Sligo, who devised the online tally system for the 2014 Local Election Count in Sligo.