Cambridge City Council Delivering Modern Electoral Administration with Idox Eros

Executive Summary
Cambridge City Council serves approximately 88,000 electors and has relied on the Idox Eros Electoral Management System (EMS) since 2004. Over the years, the council has repeatedly evaluated the market through procurement exercises, consistently selecting Eros as the platform that best meets its operational and statutory requirements.

Today, Cambridge uses a comprehensive suite of Idox electoral solutions, including Eros Cloud, PVC, Staffing Portal, ARCD, DMM, IVR, Tablet Canvassing, and, when required, Atlas. Together, these solutions provide a fully integrated platform that supports electoral registration, canvass management, election delivery, staffing administration and voter engagement. Idox’s electoral management solutions are designed to support efficient administration throughout the electoral process, from register maintenance through to election delivery.

Through continuous product development, responsive support and a collaborative approach to innovation, Idox has helped Cambridge maintain a modern, reliable and future-ready electoral service.

The Challenge
For Cambridge City Council, selecting an Electoral Management System is about more than meeting statutory obligations. The electoral services team requires a platform that supports increasingly complex electoral administration while remaining dependable and straightforward to use.

The team’s guiding principle is what they describe as the “three R’s”:

• Robust – reliable enough to support critical electoral processes.
• Reactive – capable of adapting to changing electoral requirements.
• Really easy to use – enabling teams to work efficiently and confidently.

With significant changes to electoral legislation and administration over recent years, maintaining compliance while ensuring operational efficiency has become increasingly challenging. The council also requires a supplier that can work collaboratively on specialist initiatives and deliver solutions that integrate with evolving electoral processes.

A recent example was Cambridge’s involvement in a flexible voting pilot, which required bespoke collaboration and integration between Eros and a third-party provider’s system. The council needed a partner capable of listening to requirements, adapting quickly and delivering the functionality and reporting necessary for a successful outcome.

The Solution
Cambridge City Council’s long-standing investment in the Idox Eros platform and associated suite of modules has provided a comprehensive electoral management ecosystem capable of supporting every stage of the electoral cycle.

Beyond the technology itself, Cambridge highlights the value of the Idox team and service desk. During the flexible voting pilot, Idox worked closely with the council to develop additional functionality, enable integration with an external provider and deliver the reporting capabilities required for successful implementation.

The council also values Idox’s ongoing commitment to product enhancement. Continuous development has ensured that Eros evolves alongside changing electoral regulations and operational demands, helping the electoral services team maintain confidence that the platform remains fit for purpose.

The result is a trusted electoral management platform backed by responsive support, specialist expertise and a proven track record of innovation.

“The commitment from the team at Idox is clear and the fact that we have been through more than one procurement exercise and returned to Eros is evidence that we believe it’s the best product for our needs.”

“The service desk at Idox is brilliant, and that is just as important as the product itself. We are so reliant on our EMS in this profession, and with so many critical points in an election timetable, or during canvass, you need confidence that support is there when you need it.”

Vicky Jenner, Electoral Services Manager
Cambridge City Council Electoral Services Team

Why Cambridge Continues to Choose Eros
After more than two decades using the Idox platform, Cambridge City Council continues to trust Eros because it combines:

• A comprehensive suite of integrated electoral modules.
• Continuous innovation and product improvement.
• Flexibility to support specialist electoral projects.
• Reliable performance in a highly regulated environment.
• Expert support from a knowledgeable electoral services team.

For Cambridge, Eros delivers more than an Electoral Management System – it provides a long-term partnership that helps ensure electoral services remain efficient, compliant and ready for the future.

Find out more about Idox Electoral Managed Services