CAMERON, Texas, July 26, 2017— Milam County has joined a growing number of Texas jurisdictions replacing aging voting equipment this summer, allowing plenty of time for training and implementation before the Nov. 7 constitutional election. Milam County Commissioners voted to purchase Hart InterCivic’s Verity® Voting, an all-new system that impressed staff with demonstrations at election seminars.
“We knew it was time to study replacements. and when my assistants saw Verity at a recent seminar, they came back saying we need to look hard at what Hart has come up with,” said County Clerk Barbara Vansa. “The decision was easier because Hart’s customer service is awesome. We’ve been so pleased with our relationship since 2005. Hart has earned our confidence.”
Vansa is especially looking forward to the Verity features for voters who require assistance. The touchscreen tablet includes a portable option that makes voting more convenient for voters with mobility issues, allowing them to vote curbside while preserving their privacy.
Verity also includes accessibility features to allow independent voting by all, more innovations that Vansa praised. Voters can switch between available ballot languages at any point in the voting process, adjust the font size and/or contrast on the screen, and control both the speed and the volume of the audio if they are using Verity’s headphones.
The new touchscreen tablet is easy for voters to use and for poll workers to learn. “Our new equipment is already in house, and just the thought of new equipment is exciting. My election clerks will attend the Texas Secretary of State Election Law Seminar next week and meet with Hart to schedule training,” Vansa said.
“Milam County is moving forward at the right time, and we appreciate their confidence in Hart,” said Phillip Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic, an Austin-based company with more than 100 years of election experience. “We are pleased to provide the best election system available for Milam County voters.”
Verity is the only all-new, federally-certified system that provides an integrated platform for all voting types. Since the Texas Secretary of State certified the latest release of Hart InterCivic’s Verity® Voting system in mid-December, 16 Texas counties have purchased the state-of-the-art system. Federally certified in 2015, the secure and efficient system is also in use in numerous counties throughout the U.S.
Other Texas jurisdictions are considering Verity purchases, and Braithwaite expects more Texas announcements in the coming weeks. Vansa has a few words of advice for those thinking about Verity: “Go for it! We’ve been so happy with Hart.”
Learn more about Verity in Texas: https://www.hartintercivic.com/texas4verity.