Lifecycle of a Ballot

Have you ever wondered what happens with your ballot? Read below for the steps in the lifecycle of a ballot.

1. Ballots Mailed. Ballots are mailed 22 days before an election. 
2. Ballot Collection. Ballot boxes open approximately 20 days prior to the election and the VSPC (Voter Service and Polling Center) opens 8 days before Election Day for a Coordinated election or a Primary election, and 15 days before a General election. Bipartisan teams pick up ballots from ballot boxes, Postal Service, and our voting center for delivery to the election ballot processing center. The teams use chain of custody logs to note time, seal serial number(s), and judge names. Once delivered to the election center, the receiving teams confirm seals intact, logs completed and sign and date the custody log in acceptance.
3. Ballot Sorting. When returned from the drop boxes by the bipartisan team of drivers, the ballot envelopes are hand counted again and then delivered to the signature verification judge who counts them again before verifying signatures.
4. Signature Verification. Election judges compare signatures on back of ballot envelopes with the signatures on file in the voter registration database. If rejected, the ballot will go to a new team of signature verification judges who will again review the signature. Once accepted, BallotTrax is automatically notified and sends an email notice to the voter. You must be registered with BallotTrax or have an email on file in your voter record to receive the email.
5. Ballot Curing. If the signature is not accepted by the election judges, the voter will receive a letter/email/text with instructions to cure by 8 days after Election Day. Enrollment in BallotTrax is important so you can be quickly contacted. If the voter does not respond to curing, the name will be referred to the District Attorney (DA) for investigation.
6. Ballot Removal. Accepted (signature-verified) ballot envelopes are then given to the mail processing team, who count them again before opening the ballots and removing them from the envelopes. Ballots are always counted at each step to ensure no ballot skips being signature verified. Bipartisan teams remove ballots from envelopes once signature is verified. The team works together to maintain voter anonymity. Once a batch is opened, all envelopes and ballots are counted again to ensure nothing was skipped. 
7. Ballot Processing. Processing is completed in a secure room with limited access. Ballots are scanned by tabulation machines which creates an image file of each ballot. Ballots are marked with unique identifier for post-election audit. Batch counts are not counted until 7 PM election night so no results are available early. Tabulation Machines not internet-connected.
8. Ballot Adjudication. Bipartisan teams of adjudicators review images of ballots with unclear marks to determine voter intent.
9. Tabulation. Starting at 7 p.m. on Election Night, election staff use software on a secure, non-networked computer to tabulate voters’ selections and report results.
10. Reporting. As ballots are tabulated, results are reported on our website, the Secretary of State's website, and via social media accounts. Results are not official until ballots are audited and results are certified by bipartisan representatives. Final ballot count takes place 10 days after the election, so any close races might not be determined until then. This gives time for UOCAVA ballots to be returned from overseas and for signature cures to come in. Results are not final until certified at the Canvass, which is scheduled no later than 22 days after the election. 

Register with BallotTrax to track your ballot during this election.