Ramsey County Votes Yes for New Election Technology

ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the largest voting jurisdictions in Minnesota is upgrading its election systems to the newest technology available. Ramsey County officials confirmed this week that Hart InterCivic's new Verity® Voting system will replace their outdated voting software and hardware.

With nearly 300,000 voters during each election cycle, Ramsey County is the first Minnesota County to adopt the comprehensive Hart solution for managing the process of casting, counting, compiling and reporting votes in all state, federal and local elections. Home of the state capital, St. Paul, the County is a leader in the state's election community and will be the nation's largest user of Hart's Verity system to date.

"It's nice to have a system that won't soon be obsolete," said Ramsey County Election Manager Joe Mansky. "We chose a solution that can keep up-to-date with changing technology," he said.

"We also like that the voter gets feedback right away as the ballot is processed. And finally, we like the price. Hart came in the lowest considering acquisition and operating costs."

"Hart worked closely with jurisdictions throughout Minnesota to develop Verity," said Phillip Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic. "We extend a warm welcome to Ramsey County, as the first Hart partner in the state."

"All eyes are on Ramsey County's roll-out with Hart, and we think other counties will like what they see," he added.

Certified by the Minnesota Secretary of State this year, Verity is the most comprehensive solution on the market. Austin-based Hart InterCivic has the highest customer satisfaction ratings* in the elections industry.

Minnesota-centric solutions coming to Ramsey County include:

• Accessibility for all voters. The Verity Touch Writer ballot marking device allows voters with disabilities to vote privately and independently, using non-segregated ballots that are identical to the paper ballots other voters use.
• Flexibility for absentee processing. Ramsey County will no longer have to hand-feed absentee ballots through a counter and can configure central counting operations as needed.
• Affordable and adaptable. Over the lifetime of the voting equipment, Verity's unique, adaptable architecture can efficiently respond to changes in ballot formatting rules, reporting needs or other election management tasks. Ramsey County can update parts and software on its own.

Ramsey County expects to provide practice units for voters as they approach their roll out with the state primary August 9, 2016.

* In a 2015 Customer Satisfaction Survey, 94 percent of Hart customers rated services excellent or above average. Plus, 92 percent said they would recommend Hart to an industry colleague.

For more information on the Verity Voting system, please visit www.hartintercivic.com/verityoverview.

About Hart InterCivic, Inc.

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, we share our customers' dedication to ensuring the sanctity of the vote. Our mission is to help advance democracy one election at a time. This mission fuels our passionate customer focus and our continuous drive for technological innovation that makes voting more straightforward, more equitable and more accessible—and makes managing elections more transparent, more efficient and easier.

Headquartered in the vibrant city of Austin, Texas Hart InterCivic fosters an environment that spurs innovation and empowers employees to deliver great experiences to our customers. 

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SOURCE Hart InterCivic

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