Jack County Upgrades to Verity Voting System

JACKSBORO, Texas, July 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Election technology in Jack County is taking a giant step forward thanks to County Commissioners' approval of Hart InterCivic's Verity® Voting, an all-new system designed to be flexible, easy to use and secure. Initially motivated to improve the technology and process for voter check-in at the polling place, County Clerk Vanessa James recommended a complete technology refresh. The purchase of Verity, along with new electronic poll books and Hart's innovative AutoBallot kit, will streamline check-in and automate ballot assignment. For voters, this means shorter lines and the assurance of receiving the correct ballot.

"Our poll books were reaching the end of their lifetime. Using Verity with our new poll books, we can cut down on the chance of human error. As voters sign in, we'll get an individual bar code to scan and make sure they have the right ballot. What a relief," James said. "Our commissioners agreed and acted quickly."

Jack County has about 5,000 registered voters and is one of the earliest Hart voting system partners in Texas. With this upgrade, they join a growing number of jurisdictions acting now to prepare for November's election by replacing aging equipment during the summer.

"We have worked with Jack County since 2005, and we appreciate their trust in Hart. Verity is a great solution for meeting stakeholders' needs now and in the future. We are committed to the County's successful adoption of their new system," said Phillip Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic, an Austin-based company with more than 100 years of election experience. "We will be in Jack County soon to help with training and installation. Voters and poll workers will love Verity's modern approach."

Looking forward to Verity's up-to-date touchscreen voting tablet, James said, "Voters expect the voting tablets to work like their iPhone or iPad. I think voting will go faster because Verity is so easy to use."

The system's lightweight, removable tablet and an array of accessibility features accommodate all voters, including those with disabilities. 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 the headphones.

On election night, Verity allows officials to publish results faster, because poll workers close polls on all voting terminals at once and report consolidated totals in just one step; there is no need to collect votes from every device separately. This efficiency is thanks to Hart's unique "controller" model, which provides centralized management of polling place devices.

The County's confidence in Hart made the decision to transition to the new system easy, James added. "Hart customer service is great. They have a reputation. When I meet other election officials, those with Hart are happy. Those without Hart, want Hart."

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.

Braithwaite expects more Texas announcements in the coming weeks.

Learn more about Verity in Texas: http://www.hartintercivic.com/texas4verity.

About Hart InterCivic, Inc.

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. Only Hart offers a completely new, certified voting system with both electronic and paper options.

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SOURCE Hart InterCivic, Inc.