While insurance may not prevent technology from failing, it can be used to guard against financial loss resulting from the failure of technology. To this extent, insurance is another way to minimise the risks of using technology.
Many government agencies do not take out insurance with commercial insurance companies, preferring instead to be “self-insuring” because it is often more cost-effective to simply cover the cost of any system failure than it is to take out commercial insurance. In some cases, however, commercial insurance policies are purchased by government agencies and an election management body (EMB) may consider whether insurance is an option in accordance with their own local policy.
An EMB considering insuring any of its uses of technology needs to contact appropriate insurance providers to determine whether insurance is available and the cost of needed insurance.
