The announcement comes at the end of an 18-month search for a service to work alongside the Academy’s ongoing accounting firm of record PwC, starting in 2013.

Everyone Counts will build a bespoke electronic voting system for the 85th Academy Awards as the Academy prepares to conduct what it called “a rigorous security and user-acceptance testing process.”

“This is the first of many steps that we’ll be taking toward developing a secure and convenient electronic voting system, beginning with next year’s ballot,” Academy COO Ric Robertson said. “We’re excited to have found great partners in the people who do this best.”

Everyone Counts’ clients include the US Department Of Defense, the UK’s Ministry Of Justice, the state of New South Wales in Australia and the states of Oregon, Florida, and Washington.

“We are honoured to have earned the trust of the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences in bringing online voting to the Oscars starting next year,” chairman and CEO Lori Steele said.