Mail-in Paper Balloting

Some organizations prefer or are required to provide voters the option of mailing-in a paper ballot. Simply Voting makes such hybrid elections possible without allowing anybody to vote twice. By opting for this service, your personnel will never have access to actual ballot papers and the secrecy of the vote is safeguarded.

 

The Mail-Out

Simply Voting will print a letter containing the voter's address, your logo, and personalized voting instructions for online or mail-in ballot voting. The letter, a blank paper ballot, and a return envelope pre-addressed to the Simply Voting processing facility (optionally with return postage) are folded and inserted inside a high-security window envelope, then sent via USPS as First Class Mail or via Canada Post as lettermail.

 

Collection and Processing

Simply Voting can accurately process mail-in ballots in-house and on a large scale thanks to our use of technology to automate parts of the process. All staff involved in ballot counting must follow strict protocols to safeguard the integrity and secrecy of the vote. One Simply Voting staff member is always designated as “scrutineer” and supervises the entire process. Our process involves 5 stages of counting:

Stage 1 – Ballot Collection

Sealed return envelopes are collected throughout the voting period by Simply Voting staff and kept locked in high-security storage containers.

Stage 2 – Ballot Opening

Return envelopes are loaded into an automatic letter opening machine and opened. Ballots are removed from the opened envelopes and grouped in batches.

Stage 3 – Ballot Classification

A barcode pre-printed on the ballot contains an encrypted copy of the voter's Elector ID. Simply Voting staff scan the barcode using a barcode reader and our system indicates whether this elector has already voted. If the elector has already voted the ballot is set aside and not counted. Otherwise the elector is flagged as having voted on paper and the ballot is processed further in the next stage.

Stage 4 – Ballot Entry

Simply Voting staff work in pairs to enter vote selections from each valid ballot. One staff member inputs the selections, the second staff member checks that the selections match the paper ballot and submits the vote.

Stage 5 – Reporting and Data Destruction

Once ballot entry is complete, the mail-in voting tally is instantly merged with the online voting tally. Simply Voting staff compile the data into a certified results letter. The results, an audit trail, and optionally scanned ballots are provided to the customer. All data and paper ballots are destroyed at the time agreed upon with the customer.