COLVILLE, Washington, August 28, 2018 – Stevens County officials are taking delivery of a new election system this month, a timely and budget-friendly move for the jurisdiction. The Verity® Voting system from longtime election partner Hart InterCivic is the most up-to-date election technology available in the United States. It is a flexible, trustworthy system backed by a proven partner.
“We’ve partnered with Hart since 2005, and we rate them 100 percent. This summer we decided it was time to move forward with a better scanning system, and Hart’s payment plan for the new Verity made a lot of sense for our budget,” said Stevens County Auditor Tim Gray. “We’ve been very happy with our existing system, but electronics don’t last forever.”
“By choosing Verity, we have the newest, most cybersecure system for many years to come. Plus, we are very comfortable dealing with Hart – a trustworthy company that won’t let us down,” said Gray who has worked with election administration for more than two decades.
“We appreciate Stevens County’s confidence in Hart and Verity. They are making the right choice for their voters,” said Phillip Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic, an Austin-based company with more than 100 years of experience providing election solutions. “Verity’s flexible technology is especially suited to Washington’s by-mail voting method. We are a longtime partner with Washington’s counties, and we understand their needs.”
Verity is a versatile election system with state-of-the-art hardware and software features that make by-mail voting efficient, secure and transparent. A main component is Verity Central, the easiest, most efficient high-speed scanning system on the market with streamlined workflow, logical onscreen adjudication and no ballot pre-sorting required. Video of Verity Central.
“One safeguard we like is that the scanner will not re-read (or over-count) a ballot,” Gray said. “We also like the efficiency of scanning mail-in ballots as they arrive.”
“Security is a big concern, and we like that this system is not connected to the internet. There is no easy way to break in,” Gray added. Verity, designed and built in the United States, exceeds current federal and state standards.
Gray also appreciates that Hart tests and certifies commercial print companies for ballot printing. “When we use the commercial shop, we know that our printer is good at what she does.”
Stevens County Commissioners approved the Verity purchase August 13, and Hart is moving quickly to begin delivery, testing and training before November’s general election. With more than 30,000 registered voters, Stevens County joins a growing number of jurisdictions in Washington and the Northwest moving to Verity.
Federally and state certified since 2015, the system is also in use in numerous counties throughout the U.S. Braithwaite expects more announcements throughout 2018 as additional jurisdictions choose Verity to refresh their election technology.