Pro V&V
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Voting system testing |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Jack Cobb |
| Headquarters | Huntsville, Alabama , United States |
Key people | Jack Cobb (president and director) |
Number of employees | 12 (2021) |
Pro V&V operates as a private laboratory specializing in voting system testing, headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama. The company is managed by president and director Jack Cobb. As of 2021, it stands as one of only two entities authorized by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to certify voting systems within the United States, alongside SLI Compliance.
History and operations
Established in 2011 by Jack Cobb, who brought experience from Ciber and Wyle Laboratories, Pro V&V employed 12 staff members and engaged two contractors by 2021. According to its SEC Form D filing, the firm secured $200,000 from a single investor.
Pro V&V obtained accreditation from the EAC in 2015. Despite an absence of updated certification between 2017 and 2019 caused by an "administrative error," the company maintained good standing and regained certification in February 2021. Cobb attributed this lapse to political factors.
In addition to its federal engagements in the U.S., Pro V&V has partnered with the Philippines' COMELEC since 2018. The firm contributed to developing source code for the overseas vote counting system planned for the 2025 Philippine general election, marking the nation's inaugural use of Internet voting. While acknowledging cybersecurity concerns, Cobb emphasized continuous encryption enhancements designed to reduce vulnerabilities.
During a 2020 case in U.S. District Court, Cobb admitted he does not possess specialized cybersecurity qualifications and had not personally performed the security testing cited.
From a financial perspective, Pro V&V was granted over $500,000 in forgiven loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, facilitated by Synovus.
Former employee Clay Parikh provided testimony supporting Kari Lake’s efforts to challenge the results of the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election and took part in an election denial summit organized by Mike Lindell. Parikh reported involvement with voting machine testing laboratories, including Pro V&V, spanning from 2008 to 2017.
The nonpartisan organization SMART Elections reported that between March and September 2024, Pro V&V approved software and hardware updates for Dominion Voting Systems and Election Systems & Software without conducting comprehensive testing, classifying these as de minimis modifications. SMART Elections cautioned that this practice might introduce malware risks. Additionally, they observed that Pro V&V's website experienced errors beginning July 2024 and was nonoperational by February 2025. In June 2025, Cobb refuted these claims.