Press Release: Civica acquires election and membership services leader ERS Group

By Kelly Larwood
4 December 2018

Software and services group adds end-to-end capability for elections and ballots, democracy and member and community engagement.

Civica Group, the market leader in business-critical software applications, digital solutions and managed services for the public sector and regulated markets, has announced that Civica UK Limited, the company’s wholly owned subsidiary, has acquired specialist election and civic engagement services group Electoral Reform Services Limited and its subsidiaries (“ERS Group”).

Based in London, ERS Group is the UK’s leading provider of software and services for election management, membership engagement, democracy and governance. The Group employs over 200 people and works with thousands of organisations in both public and private sectors in the UK and internationally, including local authorities, health services, political parties and trade unions, charities and other membership organisations and professional bodies. Its unrivalled experience includes managing more than 50 million registrations and 30 million online votes.

ERS Group’s largest business – Electoral Reform Services – is the foremost provider of end-to-end ballot, election and voting services, having originally grown out of the Electoral Reform Society which was established in 1884, alongside which the Group also provides comprehensive membership and engagement services for a wide range of organisations.

ERS has a broad software portfolio from electoral management to online engagement tools, meeting management and corporate governance. Cloud apps from paperless meetings to mobile canvassing complement Civica’s overall cloud software strategy.

In keeping with Civica Group strategy, ERS adds specialist expertise and products which are complementary to Civica’s established activities across shared markets in the public sector and regulated markets. Both companies share deep domain expertise and a broad market presence, while Civica’s extensive digital, cloud and automation capabilities will help to accelerate the transition to more digitised democracy and membership services.

Wayne Story, Civica Group CEO, said, “I am delighted to welcome ERS Group to Civica. From engaging with communities to comprehensive ballot, election and voting services, the company has unrivalled experience in governance, engagement, election and voter registration, with the software and innovation to enable effective modern services.”

Sian Roberts, Chief Executive of ERS Group, said, “Our products and services are relied upon to deliver key services at critical times. Being part of Civica will allow us to continue with current activities but with access to increased resources which we believe will deliver exceptional value to employees, customers and partners and spur our growth in the UK and internationally.”