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 on October 11. Registered voters receive a ballot in the mail around October 16-17.
2. Ballot Collection. Ballot boxes open October 15 and the Old Courthouse voting center opens October 21. Bipartisan teams pick up ballots from ballot boxes, Postal Service, and our voting center for delivery to the election 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.
3. Ballot Sorting. When returned from the drop boxes by the bipartisan team of drivers, the ballots 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 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, Ballot Trax is automatically notified and sends an email notice to the voter. You must be registered with Ballot Trax 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 Ballot Trax 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) ballots 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. This maintains voter anonymity. Once a batch is opened, all envelopes and ballots are counted again!
7. Ballot Processing. Processing is completed in a secure room with limited access. Ballots are scanned by tabulation machines which creates image file of each ballot. Ballots are marked with unique identifier for post-election audit. Batch counts not counted until 7 PM election night. 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 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 on November 14, 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, tentatively scheduled for November 25.

Register with Ballot Trax to track your ballot during this election.