Published December 4, 2020
U.S. lawmakers used a mobile phone app over the last two weeks to remotely cast votes for the first time, according to technologists and some involved in the process, embracing technology to facilitate an internal party leadership contest.
The development marks a shift in how Congress is adapting to the internet, especially in the middle of a pandemic. Use of the app, called Markup ERVS, had not been publicly disclosed before Friday. (ERVS stands for “Electronic Remote Voting System.”)
A total of 230 Democrats in the House of Representatives logged into Markup on their government-provided iPhones to cast 11 votes over several days for a variety of contested leadership positions, including the assistant speaker, the chairs of major committees and the leadership of the House campaign arm, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Markup spokesperson Colby Redmond.