Products & Services / Services / Best Practices / Ballot Creation & Testing

Ballot Creation & Testing

Complex elections made simple through good design

Master all aspects of ballot creation with courses and services on everything from importing data all the way through Logic and Accuracy Testing.  Expand your knowledge and creativity even further with the advanced Ballot Design Services program. Suggested Course Offerings and Services:

Consulting and Training

 Professional Services

To learn more, download the Best Practices Suite brochure.

Reserve your training today via email or call 800.223.HART (Option #1).

  

Advanced Training "Boot Camp"

Test your knowledge and achieve greater independence at the same time. This "Boot Camp" is for advanced HVS users only, and is not a Mock Election.  Instead, participants are guided through an agenda of activities designed to give them experience with advanced features of the system and common pitfalls experienced in an election cycle. Targeted content includes subject matter that is included in user documentation but not typically covered in basic HVS training courses. 

Course Topics Include:

  • Working with eCM files
  • Building BOSS imports
  • Using BOSS images
  • Ballot Now Print Queue
  • Tally Manual Vote Adjustment
  • Tally reports, imports and exports
  • Sharper SERVO skills
  • Understanding Audit Logs
  • Recount procedures
  • ...and much more

Duration: 2 days

 

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Best Practices Training

Augment your election skills with training to suit your specific needs. Training is based on content of newly released Best Practices Documentation. Designed to teach experienced HVS System operators advanced Best Practices.

Course Topics Include:

  • Security
  • Election Data Management
  • Ballot Creation, Proofing and Testing
  • Printing Paper Ballots
  • Ballot Now Scanning Operations
  • eScan Scanning Operations
  • DRE Operations (with or without VBOs)
  • Supporting Polling Place Operations
  • Reporting

Duration: 4 hour increments. 

 

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Customized Training and Consulting

You set the agenda based on your needs.

Custom designed training or consulting based on your unique needs, with topics covering any Hart application, utility, election Best Practice, or a combination of all.

Duration: Customizable

 

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HVS Election Management (Mock Election)

Our most comprehensive offering; this course is a Mock Election to review pre-election preparation, tabulation, reporting, and backup of voting equipment.  You and your staff will use the Hart Voting system to conduct a full "mock" election, and we will serve as a "coach" to walk you through difficult processes and assist you with developing your election forms and processes.

Course Topics Include:

  • Election Database Creation
  • Ballot Proofing and Logic and Accuracy Testing
  • Printing Paper Ballots
  • Preparation and Deployment of Early Voting and Election Day Equipment
  • Scanning Vote by Mail ballots
  • Early Voting and Election Day Polling Place Voting Simulation
  • Processing Returned Equipment on Election Night
  • Generating Returns
  • Post-Election Audit
  • Equipment Backup and Warehousing
  • Election Data Archival

Duration: 2-4 days.

 

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Training for Administrative Staff

Gain proficiency in Election Administration.  Designed for election staff whose primary or secondary responsibility is specifically related to operating any element of the Hart Voting System.  Can be tailored for new staff or as a refresher course for experienced staff.

Course Topics Include:

  • BOSS for Ballot Programming
  • Ballot Now for Paper Ballot Management
  • Tally for Tabulation
  • Election Day procedures for equipment management and tabulation
  • Rally for Remote Transmissions

Duration: 4 hours (varies based on the topics and experience level) 

 

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Ballot Design Enhancement Services

Improve ballot usability and aesthetic layout with Hart's in-house professional ballot design service. This service provides standardization through consultation, custom graphics, templates, stubs, and watermarking ballots. Hart will produce customized ballot templates in-house or can deliver a tailored package of images, templates, and training.

Service Offerings:

Custom Templates

The template service includes custom adjustments for font sizes and type; header size and text positioning; contest title and ballot text positioning; image positioning; column adding and resizing. These can be used for current and future elections.

Custom Images

The image service includes a series of customized images in any requested language including standardized images for ballot headers, signatures, proposition text and tables, seals, and instructions with graphics. These can be used for current and future elections.

Custom Stubs

Customized ballot stubs can include: graphics, stub numbering, custom instructions, jurisdictional data, and custom layout.

Watermarking

The customized watermarking service provides text or graphics in any orientation onto any ballot that has been produced by Ballot Now, allowing for additional freedom and security in ballot design.  Watermarks include but are not limited to: graphic images (signatures, instructions, seals), proposition text, cross ballot markers such as "DEMONSTRATION",  "TEST", "SAMPLE", and transparent text.

Note: If you want to be trained to produce custom watermarks yourself, training is available and special rates apply.

 

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Ballot Production Services

Our Ballot Production Service provides ballot programming and printing services for Hart Voting System customers.

Service Offerings:

  • Ballot programming for paper and electronic ballots
  • Paper ballot printing on Hart Secure Ballot Stock
  • Text and audio translation for your ballot needs
  • Audio recording for eSlate Disabled Access Units
  • Production, packaging and shipping of official ballots
    • Electronic media for eSlate or eScan
    • Traditional paper ballots

Note: If you are a Hart customer with BOSS and you program your own ballots, we can still put our ballot printing expertise to work for you.  With decades of ballot printing experience, we guarantee the highest quality so you can spend more time on election administration and less time worrying about ballot production.

 

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Onsite Support Services

Guarantee success in your election with a Hart technician helping you onsite throughout the election process.

Service Offerings:

  • Ballot Creation, Proofing and Testing Activities
  • Printing Paper Ballots
  • Equipment preparation and deployment prior to Election Day
  • LAT preparation prior to Election Day
  • Polling Place troubleshooting on Election Day
  • Help Desk functions on Election Day
  • Tabulation and reporting on Election Day
  • Post-election processes after Election Day