Denton, Texas, June 27 – With voter rolls topping 460,000 and growing, Denton County has selected the Verity® Voting system from longtime vendor Hart InterCivic for a complete election technology refresh.
Last week, the Denton County Commissioners’ Court approved the purchase, a move that signals a shift to all-paper voting for the fast-growing county.
“Verity is the only new system certified in Texas and federally by the EAC [Election Assistance Commission]. Other vendors are still selling old technology,” said Elections Administrator Frank Phillips. “One of the biggest plusses is that it can be configured in a variety of different ways – all electronic, a mixture of paper and electronic, or all paper. With other systems, I’d be reluctant to recommend all paper because of the expense and logistics of pre-printing all those ballots. Verity provides true on-demand ballot printing. Voters check in, and a bar code scan identifies the appropriate ballot to print for that voter.”
Flexibility, user-friendliness and transparency were cited factors in recommending the purchase. Additionally, the compact, lightweight Verity system is easy to store, transport and set up, and it provides a paper trail – a feature Denton County voters will welcome.
As an all-new system, Verity uses the latest security protocols. It operates independently of the Internet, providing further security assurances.
Phillips added, “Also, Denton County wanted to stay with a trusted partner. We rely on Hart to provide a level of service I don’t believe we’d find with another vendor.”
“Denton County is an election leader in Texas. We are honored to continue to serve as the election solution provider to this forward-thinking county,” said Phillip Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic. “Denton County has been with Hart since 2005, and we are absolutely committed to continuing to build on our productive partnership with the County. Verity forms a robust new foundation for the successful future of Denton County elections.”
Learn more about Verity in Texas: https://www.hartintercivic.com/texas4verity.
Austin-based Hart InterCivic is a full service election solutions innovator, partnering with state and local governments to deliver secure, accurate and reliable elections. Working side-by-side with election professionals for more than 100 years, Hart is committed to helping advance democracy one election at a time. Hart’s mission fuels its passionate customer focus and a continuous drive for technological innovation. The company’s new Verity Voting system makes voting more straightforward, equitable and accessible—and makes managing elections more transparent, more efficient and easier.
ELLENSBURG, Wash., June 6 – Election officials in Kittitas County are confident in their recent decision to purchase Hart InterCivic’s Verity® Voting system, user-friendly technology from a company with a strong reputation for customer service.
“Choosing Verity was a natural progression for us,” said Election Supervisor Sue Higginbotham. “We’ve been with Hart since 2005, and we know and trust them. The new system is flexible, easy to learn and up to date.”
“Hart has deep roots in Washington – we partner with 26 of its 39 counties. Our familiarity with the processes and the people amplify our ability to deliver the superior customer care we’re known for,” said Phillip Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic. Hart has more than 100 years of election experience and customers in more than 500 jurisdictions across the U.S.
To allow more decision makers and election officials to see Verity in action, Kittitas County is inviting representatives from every county in the State of Washington to an open house on July 11 at the courthouse in Ellensburg from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hart representatives will be available to answer questions and to put the new equipment through its paces. Representatives will also display Verity at the Washington State Elections Conference June 26-30.
Meanwhile, Kittitas workers trained on Verity last month and will soon be sending out ballots for the August 1 primary election. “Training was easy, and we are ready to jump right in,” Higginbotham said.
Verity is a versatile election system with state-of-the-art hardware and software features that make by-mail voting efficient, secure and transparent.
- Verity Central is the only second-generation high-speed scanning solution on the market. It builds on the lessons learned from the past decade, and the result is the easiest, most efficient high-speed scanning system available. Video of Verity Central.
- Verity Touch Writer is a paper-ballot marking device that provides advanced accessibility features that allow all voters to mark their ballots privately and independently. There are no segregated ballots, and Touch Writer includes adjustable audio and contrast settings and compatibility with “sip-and-puff” and other adaptive controls.
- Verity’s modern architecture uses economical commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. PDF: Doing COTS Right.
Only Hart provides this combination of essentials for election success paired with superior customer service. For counties currently considering purchasing Verity, Higginbotham has this advice, “Go for it. It is very easy to learn and user friendly. We have confidence in Hart, and I am very comfortable recommending them.”
For more information on the Verity Voting system, please visit www.hartintercivic.com/verityoverview.
AUSTIN, Texas, May 16 – County officials and voters across Texas agree that Hart InterCivic’s new Verity® Voting system contributed to efficient voting on May 6. Verity, the only all-new election system certified at the state and federal levels, has been purchased in 11 Texas counties and debuted in nine of them this month.
“Voters were very impressed with the equipment, and I was impressed with the ease of closing the polls,” said Heather Hawthorne, Chambers County Clerk.
Medina County Elections Administrator, Patricia Barton, reported positive feedback from voters as well, saying that voters reacted favorably to the direct record electronic (DRE) Verity Touch, which includes an easy-to-use touchscreen.
“They couldn’t believe how wonderful the machines were. Of course, they all have iPhones. I kept telling them, if you can use the iPhone, you can use the new machine.”
Barton also heard good feedback from two Castroville council members and a Medina County commissioner: “One said purchasing those machines was one of the best things that Medina County could have done.”
In Young County, Election Administrator Lauren Sullivan praised Verity for efficient ballot layout and voting preparation.
“My favorite improvement was the setup time. Taking 5-10 minutes before I can load the equipment in my car and head to the vote center, down from half a day, is a big difference. Election night didn’t change that much, but setup time was drastically different,” Sullivan said.
Unlike other electronic voting systems, Verity uses a centralized approach to managing voting devices in the polling place. With this approach, proven for over 10 years with Hart’s legacy system, a single console (Verity Controller) monitors and controls as many as 12 voting terminals and allows poll workers to assign ballot styles remotely. An available integration with an electronic poll book automates ballot assignment, thus reducing the chances for error. The controller model also greatly reduces warehouse tasks required for each election, since only one device per polling place requires configuration for each election.
“Programming was my favorite feature,” said Medina County’s Barton. “Creating the ballots was awesome. It doesn’t take nearly as long as it did, and it was so easy to fix things. I like the preview ballot. You preview first, and it cuts out extra steps.”
Election managers also praised Hart’s top-rated customer service for supporting efficient installations, training and voting.
Roxzine Stinson, Chief Elections Deputy for Lubbock County, urges those shopping for new systems to consider Hart’s record of customer confidence.
“They can’t go wrong. We’ve been with Hart since ’05, and customer service always delivers,” she said. “They have grown and gotten even better over the years. They are a really good vendor. Not only for us, but I have seen what they have done for other counties.”
Lauren Sullivan of Young County agreed that Hart’s people contributed to her seamless Election Day.
“It all comes down to customer service. They helped me feel confident, and I could confidently train my folks,” she said. “Hart has been so supportive during our transition. They’ve worked hard to find solutions that are the best for the county and the company. There has never been a time when I called with a question and didn’t get a response. “
“We congratulate our newest Verity partners on their first election,” said Phillip Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic, an Austin-based company with more than 100 years of election experience. “Their successes show Verity’s innovative efficiencies in action. Our customers’ experiences, plus Hart’s trusted name across Texas, make choosing Verity easy.”
Learn more about Verity in Texas: https://www.hartintercivic.com/texas4verity.
RICHMOND, Virginia, May 9, 2017 – The State Board of Elections announced last week that it has certified the newest release of the Verity® Voting system from Hart InterCivic. The rigorous process included onsite testing and a pilot election to ensure that system enhancements continue to meet the Commonwealth’s standards. Verity, the most up-to-date, easy-to-use election technology in use in Virginia, now offers newly certified functionality.
Among Verity’s new features, the cost-efficient Verity Print on-demand ballot printing device and a host of other enhancements such as faster ballot production and improved recount and reporting features will benefit Virginia jurisdictions.
“This latest release builds on Hart’s promise to continually expand and improve upon Verity and demonstrates our strong commitment to meeting our customers’ needs in Virginia and across the country,” said Phillip Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic.
Verity Print, an on-demand ballot printer in a compact, portable case, saves on the guesswork and waste of pre-printing ballots. The menu-driven device is designed specifically to be easy to learn and easy to use for poll workers. Unlike other on-demand ballot printing solutions on the market, Verity Print does not impose per-click charges.
New and existing Verity users will see added value in using this Verity upgrade with Hart’s ballot production services. In Virginia, the timeframe to create and proof ballots and get them approved is compressed.
“This Verity version is the fastest yet,” Braithwaite said. “Hart is keeping our word – keeping Verity fresh and delivering the high level of service Virginia’s jurisdictions expect from our team.”
Verity Voting’s first release was federally certified in May 2015 and is already in use in numerous Virginia jurisdictions.
For more information on the Verity Voting system, please visit www.hartintercivic.com/verityoverview.
AUSTIN, Texas, May 4, 2017 – The Utah Lieutenant Governor’s office announced that it has certified the Verity® Voting system from Hart InterCivic. As jurisdictions across the state look for new technology to replace aging voting systems, they now have the option of selecting Verity.
“Verity brings a fresh approach to Utah,” said Phillip Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic, an Austin-based company with more than 100 years of election experience across the nation. “Verity is the voting system of choice for jurisdictions across the country, and 100 percent of customers who switched from another vendor gave Hart’s service the highest satisfaction rating in our most recent customer survey. We are eager to show Utah voters an easier, more trustworthy experience.”
Verity’s advantages for Utah include:
- Cost-saving system and support approach, with compact, lightweight polling place devices that save on storage and transportation costs, a robust design that eliminates the need for costly vendor maintenance and Hart’s vendor-direct model that does away with hidden fees
- Best-in-industry security protocols, including encryption, two-factor authentication and redundant data storage to safeguard the sanctity of the vote
- Easiest to use system for voters and election officials with plain-language instructions and consistently user-friendly software and hardware design
For more information on the Verity Voting system, please visit www.hartintercivic.com/verityoverview.
MT. PLEASANT, Texas, Apr. 27, 2017 – Titus County has joined a growing number of Texas jurisdictions to leave their previous vendors for Hart InterCivic as Hart and its Verity® Voting system continue to gain momentum across the state. Titus is the first among Texas Verity adopters to deploy the system’s paper-based voting configuration.
In the polling place, voters can choose to mark their ballots by hand or to use an accessible ballot marking device called Verity Touch Writer. Voters then cast their votes by inserting the ballot into the Verity Scan tabulator.
“Our equipment was becoming ancient; we had to look at something new,” said Krissy Lytle, Titus County Elections Administrator. “When I first saw Verity, I thought it looked very user friendly. Our judges will have an easy time using this system, and transporting it will be so much less work than the older equipment we have now. Currently, the Sheriff’s Office has to deliver our equipment for us. Now the judges will be able to load it in their own cars. It’s going to be simpler all around.”
Lytle plans to debut the new system this November. “This will allow us to get all the judges trained and let Titus County voters experience Verity before the 2018 mid-term election,” she said. “I look forward to introducing our voters to the system. We always work to keep the voters happy, and I believe they’ll appreciate Verity’s ease of use.”
“Verity is a natural choice for jurisdictions in Texas – both those that vote with paper and those that vote electronically,” said Phillip Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic. “Hart and Verity were born and bred in Texas, and we have incorporated the state’s election needs into our new Verity system. We welcome Titus County to the Texas family of Verity users.”
Learn more about Verity in Texas: https://www.hartintercivic.com/texas4verity.