Hart InterCivic Announces Submission of eSlate Electronic Voting System Software to National Software Reference Library.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Hart's Voluntary Submission Of eSlate Software To NSRL Further Ensures Integrity of Company's Voting System 

Hart InterCivic announced today that it has submitted the company's eSlate(TM) Electronic Voting System software to the National Software Reference Library (NSRL).

According to Election Assistance Commission Chairman Dr. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr., the NSRL program will facilitate verification of software version usage, giving election administrators another tool with which to ensure the integrity of voting technology.

The NSRL is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and is designed specifically to collect software from various sources and incorporate file profiles computed from this software into a Reference Data Set (RDS) of information. The RDS can be used by forensic computer experts to review files installed on election systems in specific jurisdictions by matching file profiles with the RDS. This process will ensure that software in actual use on Election Day is the same software that is certified in that jurisdiction for use on Election Day.

"We are very happy to submit our eSlate software to the NSRL," said David Hart. "I think this is an excellent opportunity to help promote public confidence in electronic voting security prior to this November's Presidential election. The eSlate System is very secure, is not connected to the Internet, and has been proven to accurately and securely count ballots in jurisdictions throughout the nation, but this is something tangible that should be well-received by voters, election officials and e-voting critics as an important achievement," said Hart.

As security for electronic voting systems has increasingly moved to the forefront of public concern in the last 18 months, this effort represents one of the many initiatives currently being undertaking by the electronic voting industry to address these concerns.

"This is one aspect of a security framework that is being developed by Hart InterCivic to address the risk of unauthorized code running at the local level," said Neil McClure, Vice President of Hart InterCivic. "Hart will be announcing other security initiatives in the coming months to address risks in other areas of electronic voting system security," said McClure.

Earlier this year, Hart InterCivic earned the prestigious British Standards Institute's BS7799 Information Security Certification for its electronic voting system development center. BS7799 is a comprehensive set of processes and technical controls comprising best practices in information security; it is an internationally recognized standard that helps companies ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of corporate information and customer information.

Hart InterCivic's eSlate Electronic Voting System is one of the most widely used electronic voting systems in the nation. Since introducing the System in 2000, Hart InterCivic has sold thousands of eSlate units to jurisdictions representing millions of registered voters. Since it was first used in live elections in 2000, millions of votes have been cast accurately and securely on the eSlate System. Hart InterCivic has successfully installed the eSlate System in jurisdictions of varying sizes, including Harris County, Texas, the nation's third largest county with 3.1 million citizens and 1.9 million registered voters and Orange County, CA, the nation's fifth largest county with 2.8 million citizens and 1.3 million registered voters. Together with the ISO 9001:2000 quality management system certification and recent BS7799 certification for information security environment, Hart achieves both recognized security and quality throughout the eSlate System development process.

About Hart InterCivic

From electronic voting to the most effective technologies for automating local government processes, Hart InterCivic's name stands for exceptional expertise, absolute accessibility, and trusted transactions. Hart InterCivic is a leader in providing products and services that help redefine the relationship between state and local governments and the citizens they serve. Based in Austin, Texas, Hart InterCivic has offices throughout the U.S. and is working nationwide to bring governments closer to citizens through complete electronic government (eGovernment) solutions and election management solutions. More information about Hart InterCivic is available from the company's Web site at www.hartintercivic.com.

eSlate is a trademark of Hart InterCivic, Inc.