The Hart InterCivic Verity Touch Writer is a ballot marking device that combines touchscreen voting with an attached commercial off-the-shelf COTS) printer. Verity Touch Writer is often used to support accessible voting in jurisdictions with paper ballots for in-person voting; in contrast to the general voting population, if a voter cannot hand-mark a ballot with a pen, Verity Touch Writer has accessible features that allow the voter to choose selections through an electronic interface, and to print a marked ballot when complete. Verity Touch Writer does not have scanning or tabulating capabilities; it is a marking device only. Accordingly, once Touch Writer prints a ballot, the voter must cast the ballot through a scanner (typically, Verity Scan, though some jurisdictions scan all paper ballots centrally, with Verity Central).

Touch Writer supports accessible voting through a tethered/attached Audio-Tactile Interface (ATI), which is a “game controller” style console that includes a rotary wheel to move through the ballot, a select button to mark choices, and other tactile navigation buttons. The ATI can also support headphones for voters who are blind or visually impaired, or paddles or sip-and-puff devices for voters with dexterity impairments.

Touch Writer prints marked ballots in a full-sized traditional format (i.e. columns,, marked boxes, etc.). Unlike other ballot marking devices, Verity Touch Writer does not print “summary” format (i.e. “choices only”) ballots, and it does not encode voter selections in QR codes. It prints ballots in the same format as ballots used by voters who will hand-mark their choices.

1. Voter selects Language (if applicable). If multiple languages are available,

Verity Touch Writer presents the voter with this screen before prompting the voter to enter their Access Code.

The language selected applies to both the device instructions and the ballot. If the voter changes their mind, the language settings can still be changed at any time in the process by accessing the language menu.

2. Voter enters their Access Code, and then selects Accept.

The voter can enter the Access Code using the touch screen, or using the Move wheel and Select button on the Verity Access.

3. Voter selects Begin Voting. After choosing their Language preference (if applicable) and entering their Access Code, the voter will see the screen above. From here, voters can start voting (by selecting Begin Voting), learn how to use the ballot, or view a list of contests on the ballot. The Language (if applicable), Audio, and Screen settings and the Help button are also available.

4. Make choices; The voter can make ballot choices using the touch screen, or by using the Move wheel and Select button on the Verity Access.

(A) A selected choice will display a green box with check mark to the left of the choice.

(B) The voter can review ballot choices by selecting Review your choices.

(C) The Next button advances to the next contest on the ballot.

 

5. When the voter has reached the end of the ballot, the Review your ballot screen appears. The voter can

(A) select a specific contest to return to that contest on the ballot or

(B) select Return to ballot to go to the last contest visited.

6. After reviewing and confirming choices, the voter selects Print to print the ballot.

7. Voter selects Yes, print my ballot.

 

 

8- The voter retrieves the printed ballot from the laser printer next to their Verity Touch Writer.

If your polling place is equipped with Verity Scan, The voter takes the printed ballot to the Verity Scan device to cast the ballot.

Hart InterCivic Verity Touch Writer Voting Instructions

Hart InterCivic Verity Touch Writer Poll Worker Instructions

Hart InterCivic Touch Writer usage in November 2024 (click for details)

References

Lancaster, PA: Mark and print your ballot using the Accessible Writer
Verity Voting 1.0 Test Report for the State of Colorado (2015)
Report of the Secretary of State of Washington on the Examination of the Verity 1.0 Voting System (2015)
EAC Certification Test Report for Verity 1.0 (2015)
EAC Certification Test Report for Verity 2.0 (2016)
EAC Certification Test Report for Verity 2.2 (2016)