Processing Mail-In Ballots

WHAT IS BALLOT DUPLICATION?

According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, ballot duplication is the process for replacing damaged or improperly marked ballots (i.e., the voting system cannot read the ballot) with a new ballot that preserves the voter’s intent. The ballot duplication processes create a “clean ballot” with the voter’s choices that can be read by ballot tabulation equipment. The process also ensures that the original voter-marked ballot is retained for the record including any required auditing. It is the duplicated or transcribed “clean ballot,” and not the damaged one, that is counted by tabulation equipment.

WHY CONDUCT BALLOT DUPLICATION?

In almost all local jurisdictions, paper ballots are tabulated electronically, using some sort of ballot scanning technology. Four common problems can render paper ballots difficult or impossible to process with a ballot tabulation system: 1. Ballots can be damaged during the life cycle of a ballot. Anything from coffee spills to wrinkles and tears can interfere with the scanning of the ballot by a tabulation system. 2. Ballots filled out with inappropriate marking implements — pencils, highlighters, colored pens, chalk, cosmetic pencils, paints, crayons and colored art pencils — cannot be processed by a tabulation system. 3. The voter’s intent may be clear under a state’s election laws but marked in a way that a tabulation system cannot read. For example, the voter may mark the ballot inappropriately, by circling a candidate’s name when instructions indicate a bubble must be filled in. Additionally, stray marks on the ballot can interfere with the tabulation system’s ability to scan the ballot. 4. The returned ballot may not be 1.) the appropriate paper stock quality and weight, 2.) the correct orientation (portrait or land scape), or 3.) sized so that the voting marks and ballot positions can be read by the scanner and so that the ballot can be tabulated.

WHAT BALLOT DUPLICATION IS NOT

It is important to note that the term duplication or replication should not be interpreted as a type of corrupt process to create additional ballots, either voted or unvoted. Ballot duplication is simply the transcribing of damaged or otherwise machine-unreadable ballots as described above so that these ballots can be tabulated with the others.

IMPROVING BALLOT DUPLICATION

The CSG Overseas Voting Initiative Working Group of state and local election officials studied and issued recommendations to improve ballot duplication for state and local election officials with military and overseas ballots as the focal point. Those recommendations include:

■ Continually evaluate ballot duplication procedures, manual or automated solutions, staffing levels and equipment needs well in advance of each future election.

■ Explore and consider avenues for remote observation of the ballot duplication process by the public — voters, candidates and the media — to enhance transparency.

■ Develop educational videos, FAQ landing pages and documents and infographics representing the ballot duplication process.

■ Take extra care in handling ballots and any duplication and tabulation equipment.

■ Review current remote voter instructions and consider providing additional language to help prevent damaged or machine unreadable ballots due to use of hand sanitizer or sealing adhesives. Learn more about these recommendations at ovi.csg.org/resources.