Clackamas County is known for its pioneering spirit, an attitude born in the 1840s when the area was settled by the rugged travelers of the Oregon Trail. No surprise this trailblazing county’s election officials were the first in the State to adopt Verity Voting by Hart InterCivic, the most technologically advanced election system available in the U.S.
“We like to be first and we take pride in moving ahead,” said Sherry Hall, Clackamas County Clerk. “Choosing Verity was a natural choice to upgrade our older system. It’s a new technology that will serve our voters well for years to come.”
Clackamas County officials carefully scrutinized Verity before they embraced the new technology.
“I observed demos at other counties and at national conferences, and Clackamas County was tapped to host the Oregon certification process with State officials and other counties coming here to observe,” Hall said. “I had great confidence in Hart customer support. We were sold.”
An agreement was reached in July. By the November 3 special election, Verity was in place for the County’s 230,000 registered voters. “We were thrilled with the ease of Verity,” Hall said. Hall’s concern about teaching the new system to temporary election workers with little computer experience proved wrong. “They loved it!” Hall said. “They said it was so much easier and streamlined.”
With the success of November’s general election, Clackamas County is ready for the much larger May 2016 primary kicking off the presidential election season. Hall noted that the County expects to hire more than 100 temporary election workers in May and is confident they can handle the new, efficient process. “I am especially pleased with Hart customer service and the depth and breadth of their experience. They have more than 100 years in the election business, and we get quick response from Hart when needed.”
“We expect many other Oregon counties to follow in Clackamas County’s footsteps with Verity,” said Phillip Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic. “No other newly certified voting system is built on years of experience serving the needs of the State’s election administrators and voters.”
Full Article: Clackamas County Pioneers New Voting Technology in Oregon — OREGON CITY, Ore., Dec. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ —.