TradeForms (Scotland) Ltd

TradeForms to move security print to ballots

A Scottish printer is targeting its patented security print process at the ballot paper market following the high-profile problems with some postal ballots. Glasgow firm TradeForms (Scotland) Ltd has tweaked its InfoSafe product, which is currently used to provide a tamper-proof way of keeping students' identities secret from exam markers.

"It's innovative, but very simple," said product development manager Tommy Connell. "It's designed to make sure that it can't be tampered with or viewed by anyone until it gets to the election official."

A voter casts their vote before folding over a perforated strip back-printed to prevent show-through onto a self adhesive strip on the ballot paper concealing their vote. Any attempt to modify or read the strip then becomes immediately apparent.

So far the firm has yet to sign up any users for Infosafe's use in ballot papers, but 20 universities use the product, developed by Connell and his father Tom.

This article first appeared in PrintWeek on 12th May 2005 (link)

Last update 31st May 2005 - maintained by G Barrie