HILLSDALE, Michigan, December 19 – A trouble-free rollout of Hart InterCivic’s Verity® Voting system continues in Michigan where 11 counties chose the most up-to-date system available in the nation to replace aging equipment.
Recent delivery and acceptance testing exceeded Hillsdale County Clerk Marney Kast’s expectations. “We had received all our equipment Monday, November 27th. By Tuesday evening, we had tested every piece, from ballot boxes to tablets, printers and scanners. There were no issues with any devices. By the end of the day, our election clerks were satisfied.”
Acceptance testing, the process of verifying that newly unpacked equipment meets quality standards, is just one step in a series of measures taken to ensure Verity’s reliability and security.
“Verity quality assurance starts internally with every stage of development and manufacture — and continues with rigorous testing for certification at the federal and state levels,” said Phillip Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic, an Austin-based company with more than 100 years of election industry experience. “The system goes through multiple rounds of logic and accuracy testing throughout each election to ensure it performs as required, and post-election audits assure stakeholders that results are accurate. Voter confidence is critical to the electoral process, and Verity’s thorough vetting helps build that confidence.”
Hart’s reputation for customer care, as well as Verity’s user-friendly design, convinced Kast that Verity was the best choice for Hillsdale’s voters. “Hart is so good to work with. We belong to a user’s group along with counties that have already voted with Verity. We’ve heard the feedback. They love it.”
Hillsdale, a county with 22 jurisdictions and 26 precincts, will debut Verity in 2018, along with the Michigan counties of Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Ionia, Livingston, Montcalm and Washtenaw. Counties already using Verity are Muskegon, Oakland and Ottawa. Stakeholders praised smooth processes for election managers, and voters were especially pleased with Verity’s “Your ballot has been counted” confirmation after scanning.
Kast, along with Chief Deputy Judy Leedy and Programmer/Deputy Clerk Brennon Balcom, are eager to start training early next year. “Our clerks were so impressed when we tested our devices. Everything was so easy, even setting the time and date was no trouble. They were ready to dig in right away.”
“We look forward to long partnerships with Hillsdale County and localities across the state of Michigan,” said Braithwaite. “The Hart team is committed to smooth, transparent and secure elections, and our processes are in place to assure successful voting cycles for many years ahead.”