KING AND QUEEN COUNTY, Va., May 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cutting-edge technology paired with a reputation for strong customer service is attracting a growing number of forward-looking Virginia jurisdictions to the Verity® Voting system by Hart InterCivic. King and Queen County is the latest of 10 Commonwealth of Virginia localities replacing aging voting systems with Verity as the busy election year ramps up.
"Hart was new to us, but the Verity paper ballot and digital scanning features rose to the top of the competition," said Diane Klausen, Director of Elections and General Registrar for King and Queen County in the Richmond metropolitan area. "Verity has the newest technology and the longevity that are important to our electoral board. Plus, this company is grounded in 100 years of election experience. We did not want a fly-by-night service."
"With the presidential election coming, it made sense to replace a system we bought in 2005," Klausen added. Verity is the only all-new, federally certified system that gives jurisdictions the power to run any type of election on one modern, integrated platform. Its paper ballot technology has set new standards for ease of use and trust.
Virginia lawmakers have directed localities to choose paper ballot systems as they replace aging equipment. Hart's Verity system, certified both federally and by Virginia's State Board of Elections, matches county needs. Other nearby counties in the Commonwealth moving forward with Verity include Westmoreland, Essex, Richmond and Northumberland. Amherst is also a new Verity partner.
The timing of switches to Verity allows counties to work together for efficiency. For example, when Essex County arranged demonstrations from a group of vendors, officials invited neighboring counties to participate. For Klausen, seeing Verity perform well at the Essex demo helped seal the decision. Klausen also expects to consult with registrars at other Verity counties for advice on setting up voting procedures.
Hart's responsive customer service has already made an impression in King and Queen County. "Our new equipment was delivered within five days of getting our contract signed," Klausen said. She also praised the "get it done" approach of the Hart managers who have reached out to her personally to help answer questions and set up testing and training.
And finally, a very practical Verity feature is expected to have long-term benefits for the county.
"We like the compact size of the ballot box. It collapses into its own case and stacks for storage. This is a huge issue when it comes time to lock up our equipment between elections," Klausen said. "Other options required more space or weren't stackable."
"Verity has Virginia in its DNA. We have worked with many localities in the state for more than a decade," said Phillip Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic. "Our history and collaboration with existing users helped shape the advances we built into the new Verity solution."
"We welcome King and Queen County to the Verity family and join them in looking forward to many successful elections."
King and Queen County chose the Verity Scan digital scanning device, allowing voters to scan their paper ballots in the polling place, and the Verity Touch Writer ballot marking device for voters with disabilities. The two devices share the same secure, compact hardware platform as well as a consistent user interface designed to be extremely easy to use – an important quality as the County makes the transition to paper ballot voting.
For more information on the Verity Voting system, please visit http://www.hartintercivic.com/content/verity-system-overview.
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. The Hart mission fuels 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.
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SOURCE Hart InterCivic, Inc.
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