AUSTIN, Texas, July 8, 2025 – Hart InterCivic announces the historic VVSG 2.0 Election Assistance Commission (EAC) certification of its new product line, Vanguard. VVSG 2.0 is the latest set of national voting system standards and is the result of years of focused effort by federal, state, and industry experts dedicated to enhancing and safeguarding the nation’s election systems. In the EAC’s own words, “The VVSG 2.0 represents a significant advancement in defining standards that will serve as the cornerstone of the next generation of voting systems. It lays the groundwork for 21st century voting systems that are desperately needed with improved cybersecurity, accessibility, and usability requirements.”
Hart’s new Vanguard voting system also meets the challenge of the recent elections related Executive Order, making it the only voting system available in the United States that delivers on both the latest EAC standard and the conditions of the Executive Order (EO). This EO, 14248 “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections” states:
“…voting systems should not use a ballot in which a vote is contained within a barcode or quick-response code in the vote counting process… and should provide a voter-verifiable paper record to prevent fraud or mistake…”
Hart’s achievement as the first voting technology manufacturer to attain VVSG 2.0 certification highlights its dedication to election officials and their ability to deliver safe, secure, and transparent elections. By completing the rigorous penetration testing, usability testing, and stringent third-party functional testing called for in the latest standards, Hart demonstrates its commitment to enhancing voter confidence. Hart believes the EAC’s certification serves as a seal of trust, raising the bar for the entire election industry.
Introducing Vanguard: Defensible, Efficient, Adoptable
Vanguard is a platform for smart elections that fits seamlessly into election officials’ existing processes and technology, enabling them to move faster at every step of the election cycle. Vanguard’s purpose-built devices and enhanced security features make elections more defensible. By providing true voter-verifiable ballots with no voter selections in barcodes or QR codes, Vanguard is primed to significantly increase voter confidence in election results and sets Hart’s products ahead of others in the market. The importance of this commitment to transparency has been echoed in the recent national focus on enhancing voting system security.
Backed by market research, customer feedback, and significant investments in product development, this suite of election technology provides end-to-end election management with industry-leading security and innovations that exceed the latest EAC standards.
Boasting the smallest footprint in the market, it is easy to store, transport, and deploy. Additionally, Vanguard offers the widest range of accessibility features, designed in partnership with nationally recognized accessibility organizations.
“When the election industry began conversations about VVSG 2.0, Hart was eager to invest in the development of a new system because we recognized the need for voting systems that can withstand the evolving challenges of modern elections. With Vanguard, we are leading the industry with the first VVSG 2.0 certified voting system, are setting a new standard for election integrity and voter confidence, and are well-positioned for any future revisions to the standard. We applaud the EAC’s commitment and partnership in bettering elections, and we are excited to continue our leadership in revolutionizing the security, accessibility, and transparency of U.S. elections,” – Julie Mathis, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic.
Future Ready
Hart’s legacy product line, Verity, was the first in the industry to embrace security best practices like Secure Boot and Allow Listing, along with utilizing optical character recognition (OCR), instead of encoding voter selections in bar codes. With Vanguard, Hart continues these innovations and introduces new advanced features like Vanguard ID – the patented “always-on” device smart label and a layered, hardware-augmented Secure Boot to enhance security and reduce startup time.
“VVSG 2.0 may be new to the industry, but it is not new to Hart or Hart’s voting systems. Hart’s systems have always exceeded VVSG requirements, and Hart continues to innovate beyond the EAC’s standards. Vanguard is already ready for VVSG 2.1- in that it meets nearly all of the requirements of the EAC’s draft for a VVSG 2.1 standard. This is one more example of Hart’s unwavering commitment to revolutionizing election technology, ensuring that every vote is secure, accessible, and transparent. Hart is proud to lead the industry with advanced solutions that set a new standard for election integrity and voter confidence.” – Jim Canter, Chief Technology Officer of Hart InterCivic
Hart is a Trusted Provider
The goal of the EAC’s VVSG certification process is to improve the overall performance of election administration and the integrity of elections. EAC certification is crucial for voting technology companies as it establishes a new benchmark for security, transparency, and accessibility in elections. This certification underscores Hart’s position as a trusted provider of election technology and enhances voter confidence and election security across the U.S.
Learn more about the Vanguard product line by visiting Hart’s website, www.hartintercivic.com, or contacting the sales team, 800.223.4278.
About Hart InterCivic
Hart InterCivic, founded over 110 years ago in Austin, Texas, is a leading provider of election technology, serving customers across 20 states. Guided by principles like integrity, innovation, and intentionality, Hart enables election officials to conduct elections confidently and deliver accurate results with ease. Secure systems create ballots, capture voter choices, and audit results, improving public processes and systems.
Hart is inspired by the meaningful responsibility shared with customers, delivering the best outcomes for customers, the company, and the public good.
Hart InterCivic Media Contact:
Name: Steven Sockwell
Title: Vice President, Corporate Communications
Email: media@hartic.com
Phone: (512) 252-6409
Website: www.hartintercivic.com