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Galveston
County Clerk Elections Division |
Dear Galveston County Voter: After an extensive research effort, Galveston County selected the Hart Voting System to meet the voting system requirements of the 2002 federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA). This law also appropriated funds to assist with the purchase of new systems. Beginning with the Primary Elections in March 2006, the Hart Voting System will replace our optical scan system. The new voting system has two components: the eScan for paper ballots and the eSlate for accessible voting. Both will be available at each polling place, so you may use either system. I want to take this opportunity to share some facts with you about the Hart Voting System and to provide simple instructions on this website that will show you how to use the new system. Our system is secure. From the generation of the ballot by our office to the tabulation of votes at our centralized counting center, security measures are in place to ensure no unauthorized individual has access to the system. Neither the vote tabulation program nor any other component of the Hart Voting System is ever connected to the Internet or an external network. Our system is accurate. The Hart Voting System’s eSlate uses a state-of-the-art optical encoder, called the SELECT wheel to navigate through the ballot. This technology provides 100% positional accuracy at all times. The eScan uses digital scanning technology that is state-of-the-art imaging that captures your ballot. Our system is accessible. The eSlate meets all federal accessibility requirements, so now people with disabilities, including those who are blind, mobility impaired, or have limited-upper body dexterity or strength can vote privately and independently, a fact many of us take for granted. Our system is easy to use. Whether voting on a paper ballot using the eScan or voting on the accessible eSlate, a review of the system on this website will show how simple each is to use. And both the eScan and the eSlate will allow you to review and change your vote before casting it. Our system is truly bilingual. As required by federal law, all paper ballots will be printed in both English and Spanish. Voters who vote on the eSlate will be able to select a Spanish or English ballot. Both languages will also be available for those listening to the ballot using the headphones. In an effort to ensure all voters are aware of the new voting system and how to use it, we will be providing voter education through a number of venues, including some of the following: live demonstrations, newsletters, websites, emails, newspapers, videos on cable stations, and instructions at your polling places. If you want to see how to use the eSlate, be sure to try the flash demo on this website. Also available on this site are slideshows and videos of how to use the eSlate for accessible voting. As always, if you have questions about the new system or would like to find out more about becoming a poll worker, please call us at 409.766.2200. Sincerely, Mary Ann Daigle  Galveston County Clerk
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