Hopkins County Upgrades to Verity Ahead of March Election

SULPHUR SPRINGS, Texas, Jan. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hopkins County is on the fast track to replace an aging voting system with the most up-to-date technology available in the U.S. in time for their March 6 election. Commissioners voted Jan. 12 to upgrade to the Verity^® Voting system from Hart InterCivic, a trusted election partner with the County for more than a decade. Acceptance testing and delivery begin this week, and County Clerk Debbie Shirley is confident that with Hart's help, the timeline will work.

"Not only is Verity an awesome system, but the people at Hart are great. When you trust the company you deal with, you know they will be there for you. Hart is the best at what they do," Shirley said.

"Choosing Verity is a win/win decision for Hopkins County. Voters are going to love the convenience of the touchscreen. In my office, we love a time-saving, efficient and easy to learn setup," she said. In addition to the voter-friendly, intuitive interface, the system's lightweight, removable tablet and accessibility features accommodate all voters, including those with disabilities.

Shirley, who plans to retire at the end of 2018, sees the move to Verity as part of her legacy after 44 years working for the County. "I love my job, and I want to leave the best system possible in place for the public. By making this transition now, I can help the Election Office do their best throughout the years with this new, convenient system."

"The County is investing in good equipment and good voting," she added. "At some time, this 13-year-old equipment was going to start costing time and money with no return. Plus, Verity is designed to handle Vote Centers." Convenient Vote Centers are increasingly popular in Texas, replacing individual precinct polling places. Older voting systems were designed before Vote Centers were allowed in 2006, while all-new Verity is designed and manufactured in Texas with Vote Center functionality to make convenience voting easier, more efficient and more secure.

Verity is certified at the federal and state levels; it is designed from the ground up to be flexible, easy to use and secure with all new hardware and software. Shirley is looking forward to easier programming with Verity, along with easier transport of the lightweight, compact units to the County's 12 Vote Centers.

Early voting begins Feb. 20, and Shirley is confident that her workers will be trained and ready thanks to hands-on help. "Hart always comes through. I've been with them for years, and they will make it happen," she said.

"Hopkins County is moving quickly to modernize local elections. We appreciate their confidence in Hart and in Verity. Our team members are laying the groundwork for a successful election in March and many more in the years ahead," said Phillip Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic, an Austin-based company with more than 100 years of experience providing election solutions.

Hopkins County, with about 22,000 registered voters, joins a growing number of Texas jurisdictions moving to Verity. Since the Texas Secretary of State certified the latest release of the system in late 2016, Hart has shipped more than 7,000 Verity devices across the State. Federally certified in 2015, the secure and efficient system is also in use in numerous counties throughout the U.S.

Braithwaite expects more Texas and national announcements throughout 2018.

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.