Klickitat County to Implement Modernized Voting System
Hart Voting System Also Used in 20 Other Washington Counties
published 01/07/2008
GOLDENDALE, WA – Klickitat County Auditor Brenda Sorensen is joining 20 other Washington counties as the latest installation of Hart InterCivic's Ballot Now by-mail digital scanning voting solution.
Most voters in Klickitat County will vote on a paper ballot in which they fill in a box in order to mark a selection and then mail the ballot in or drop it off at one of the county's drop receptacles. An accessible solution designed for persons with disabilities, the eSlate®, will also be available at the county courthouse during the by-mail voting period. Hart InterCivic, of Austin, Texas, has already delivered the voting equipment and has been conducting training. The county's first election on the system will be the February 19th Presidential Primary. This election will also include seven local issues.
"Klickitat County went to a vote-by-mail approach in May of 2007, but the system used at that time was time consuming and costly," said Sorensen. "Hart ballots are easy for the voters to read and understand, and the equipment works well and provides for fiscally responsible and efficient election administration. We will have accurate results out in a timely manner on election night, and our community cares about that. With Hart, we are optimized for a vote-by-mail solution along with a very easy-to-use disabled access voter interface."
The Ballot Now solution allows for printing on-demand at the county offices, it saves a digital image of each ballot scanned, and it allows the county to start scanning ballots well before Election Day because it tabulates using a separate application. Klickitat County serves almost 12,000 registered voters in 29 precincts.
"Hart InterCivic is proud to provide election solutions to a significant percentage of the voting population in Washington State," said Phillip Braithwaite, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Hart’s Election Solutions Group. "We are delighted to have Klickitat County as a Hart customer."
About Hart InterCivic
Hart InterCivic is one of the nation's largest providers of voting systems with customers in 13 states and hundreds of local jurisdictions, including two of the nation's largest counties.
Hart InterCivic is a leading national technology and services provider for state and local government election and GIS-integrated database solutions. Hart product offerings include eSlate electronic voting equipment and the Hart Vantage geo-content product suite. Nearly a century ago, Hart InterCivic started as a company focused on printing forms for local governments in Texas. The company has evolved into a national leader in software and service solutions for the public sector. Hart's business values are centered on heritage, integrity, reliability and personalized customer service. A recipient of the Samaritan Center Ethics in Business Award, Hart InterCivic is a privately held corporation based in Austin, Texas. For more information please visit www.hartintercivic.com.
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Contact Information
Peter Lichtenheld
512.252.6578
plichtenheld@hartic.com