ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 10, 2018 – Replacing aging election equipment across the state is an escalating need, and protecting the integrity of the ballot process is of the upmost importance to local jurisdictions.
Ramsey County officials are ahead of the curve with their choice and are pleased with the proven accuracy and security of the Verity® Voting system from Hart InterCivic.
“Verity allows us to run our voting system operations non-networked and unplugged. In the present security environment, that’s a real plus for us,” said Election Manager Joe Mansky, who led the upgrade in 2015 when Ramsey County became the first and largest user of Verity in Minnesota.
“The strength of this system is its security features,” Mansky said. “There is no networking, no modem, nothing connected to the outside world. Not even our county election servers are networked.” After the first election using Verity, “each ballot counter came back to headquarters completely under lock and seal and was opened there,” he explained.
Mansky, election manager for Ramsey County since 2002, is a knowledgeable voice in the election community. He has served in key roles, including 11 years as State Election Director in the Secretary of State’s office and as a member of the governor’s task force for election integrity.
“We are pleased to earn Joe Mansky’s respect in Minnesota as Verity delivers efficient, accurate elections. He is a forward-looking public servant who saw Verity and knew it was the right fit for Ramsey County’s future,” said Phillip Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic. Hart has worked with election providers across the U.S. for more than 100 years.
Nationally, Hart is a key stakeholder in election security and is actively engaged with many cross-functional initiatives and organizations including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors.
“We are participating in and driving conversations designed to continue to improve election security and strengthen voter confidence,” said Braithwaite.
In one recent exchange, Hart provided detailed responses to questions from U.S. senators, including Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., concerning technology and election security.
Senators: What steps have you taken or will you take in order to upgrade existing technologies in light of the increased threat against our elections?
Response: The most significant step Hart has taken to improve election security is to design and build an all-new voting system that incorporates the most modern security technology and security best practices. Verity is Hart’s latest-generation voting system and is available to election officials now. It has undergone rigorous testing by an independent, accredited Voting System Test Laboratory (VSTL) and has attained certification from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). Separately, Verity has successfully passed multiple states’ independent testing and certification processes. Verity has never failed a test at the federal or state level.
Braithwaite emphasized that Hart takes election security and voter confidence very seriously.
He said, “Hart’s election solutions have been proven in the field to be both accurate and secure, successfully capturing and tabulating millions of votes. We continue to raise the bar on election security and ensure our customers always have access to the best tools and techniques to operate secure, transparent elections. Security is an ongoing discussion, and we are dedicated to staying at the forefront.”