Yolo County is preparing for 2020 elections – and beyond – by selecting the modern, secure Verity® Voting system from the jurisdiction’s long-time election partner Hart InterCivic. Verity was chosen over older systems available in the state for its flexibility to transition with the County and for trusted customer support from Hart.
“The new Verity system allows us to offer what our voters want today and to remain flexible to make more improvements over the next few years,” said Jesse Salinas, Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters.
“The simplicity of Verity is beautiful. It allows for a larger, more readable ballot that is user-friendly for voters, and the new software makes designing ballots easier. Verity gives us the ability to create a paper ballot for every voter, not the vote summary that other vendors offer. Verity provides a true paper ballot, which provides the best auditing trail possible.”
“As we consider evolving to Vote Centers for 2022, we are glad to have a system like Verity that is both effective and efficient. Verity’s ability to pivot made a two-stage implementation approach very attractive for Yolo County. With Hart’s guidance and expertise, we will also pilot on-demand ballots in 2020.”
“Yolo County is a valued Hart partner. We are proud they have chosen Verity for their future elections,” said Phillip Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic, a U.S. company with more than 100 years of experience providing election solutions. “We have worked with them to deliver smooth elections since 2006 and look forward to collaborating for many more years.”
“We are also proud to support voter engagement in Yolo County through their exciting YES! program for young voters,” he added.
The YES! (Youth Empowerment Summit) program encourages high school students to explore leadership roles and civic engagement and lets them experience how their voices are heard through the election process. The annual summit includes a mock election, which Hart facilitates.
“Hart gets what we are trying to do with voter engagement and protecting democracy,” Salinas said. “That’s just part of their wonderful customer support.”
“I’ve worked first-hand with Hart for four elections in the last three years. Their service is second to none: dependable, insightful and responsive. They have a track record of success,” said Salinas, who was sworn in in May 2016, right before the primary.
Yolo County, with 113,000 registered voters, will use Verity for the first time in March 2020. Salinas is looking forward to seeing what he calls “simple, eloquent” solutions in action. “Not only is the new technology efficient and high speed, but the units are portable, and storage is compact,” he said.
In preparation for the next election, Salinas has partnered with a cybersecurity specialist from nearby UC Davis to provide additional testing on the County’s equipment.
“We want to go above and beyond due diligence. Verity has passed all protocols and has an excellent state and national reputation,” Salinas said. “However, we want to do what we can locally from a security standpoint as well. Hart is open and willing to allow this extra level of scrutiny to assure our citizens that we are protecting their vote.”
“Of course we are open to this idea,” said Braithwaite. “We are confident in Verity. Hart pioneered digital ballot scanning more than a decade ago, and the U.S.-built system is secure and transparent. More tests are more proof.”
A number of California counties are considering switching to Verity before the 2020 elections, and Braithwaite expects more announcements soon.
“Do your homework, talk to Hart, see the product,” said Salinas to those looking at Verity. “It’s a tremendous product, and you will hear the same thing wherever you go.”
Learn more about Verity in California: https://www.hartintercivic.com/state/california/