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Hart InterCivic
Vanguard Capture
Make / Model: Hart InterCivic Vanguard Capture
Equipment Type: Batch-Fed Optical Scan Tabulator
Overview
The Hart IntercivicVanguard Capture is a batch-fed digital scanner and software system designed for high-volume ballot processing, typically utilized in central count or mail-in ballot operations. It is a hardware and software component of the Verity Vanguard 1.0 suite. The system integrates commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) high-speed scanners with specialized Vanguard software to capture digital images of ballots and convert voter selections into electronic Cast Vote Records (CVRs).
The Vanguard Capture system supports up to eight networked COTS high-speed scanners per workstation. This allows election offices to process large quantities of ballots—such as those received through mail-in or absentee voting—efficiently. During the scanning process, the system creates high-resolution digital images of both sides of every ballot simultaneously. It utilizes Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to tabulate voter choices directly from the human-readable text and marks on the paper.
Consistent with the rest of the Vanguard suite, the system does not utilize barcodes or QR codes to encode voter intent. To maintain data integrity, the hardware includes ultrasonic double-feed detection to prevent ballots from sticking together, ensuring every page is accounted for during high-speed runs.
Operating within the Zero Trust security architecture, Vanguard Capture requires multi-factor authentication for all users and employs strict role-based access controls. The system is designed to run on hardened workstations in a “kiosk mode,” which prevents unauthorized access to the underlying operating system or external networks.
Data redundancy is managed through a RAID1 configuration on the workstations, ensuring that no ballot data is lost in the event of a hard drive failure. Additionally, the system uses the Vanguard ID smart labels on all associated hardware to provide an always-on display of election status and device identification, supporting rigorous chain-of-custody protocols even when the equipment is powered off.
Tabulation Process
The Vanguard Capture system automates high-volume ballot processing through a centralized, secure digital workflow. The process is divided into two primary phases: administrative batch scanning and, when necessary, on-screen adjudication.
The tabulation process begins when election officials load batches of ballots into the high-speed, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) scanners networked to a Vanguard Capture workstation. As ballots are scanned, the hardware creates high-resolution, simultaneous digital images of both sides of every ballot. To ensure every page is accounted for during high-speed runs, the hardware utilizes ultrasonic double-feed detection, which prevents multiple ballots from being pulled through simultaneously. Using Optical Character Recognition (OCR), the Vanguard Capture software analyzes the human-readable text and marks on the paper ballots to convert selections into electronic Cast Vote Records (CVRs). Consistent with the Vanguard suite’s architecture, the system relies exclusively on human-readable text and marks for tabulation, intentionally avoiding the use of barcodes or QR codes to encode voter intent.
In instances where the OCR engine identifies an exception—such as an overvote, a write-in candidate, or an ambiguous “marginal” mark—the system flags the specific ballot for manual review. The “true on-screen adjudication” workflow is designed for transparency and bipartisan oversight. Authorized election officials review the high-resolution digital image of the flagged ballot on dedicated monitors to interpret and resolve the voter’s intent. This process is typically performed by two-person teams to ensure bipartisan review and verification. The software allows officials to record the resolved intent without altering or modifying the original digital image of the ballot. Every adjudication action is automatically documented in a permanent, cryptographically signed audit log that tracks the “before and after” of each decision, providing a transparent, verifiable record for post-election audits.
Resources
Hart Intercivic Vanguard Capture usage in November 2026 (click for details)
Manufacturer Profile
Hart Intercivic
15500 Wells Port Drive
Austin, TX 78728
Phone: 512.252.6400, 800.223.HART
Fax: 512.252.6466
Hart entered the elections industry in 1912, printing ballots for Texas counties. The company, formerly a division of Hart Graphics, Inc., was established as a subsidiary called Hart Forms & Services in 1989, which, in 1995, changed its name to Hart Information Services, Inc. During the next five years, Hart Information Services acquired three election services providers: Texas County Printing & Services, Computer Link Corporation, and Worldwide Election Systems. Worldwide was the developer of the eSlate, Hart’s direct recording electronic (DRE) voting solution. In 1999, the company spun off completely from Hart Graphics and in 2000, the company became Hart InterCivic Inc.