All-Mail-Ballot

Elections

All-Mail-Ballot

Elections

Author:

Margaret Rosenfield

Rosenfield and Rosenfield

1650 Ridgeway Place

Columbus, Ohio 43212

Managed and Edited by:

William C. Kimberling

National Clearinghouse on Election Administration

Published by:

National Clearinghouse on Election Administration

Federal Election Commission

Washington, D.C. 20463

September 1995
Introduction by the

Clearinghouse

This report is another in the series on Innovations in Election Administration being published

by the FEC's National Clearinghouse on Election

Administration.

The purpose of this series is to acquaint State

and local election officials with innovative election procedures and technologies that have been

successfully implemented by their colleagues

around the country.

Our reports on these innovations do not

necessarily constitute an endorsement by

the Federal Election Commission either of

any specific procedures described or of any

vendors or suppliers that might be listed

within the report. Moreover, the views and

opinions expressed in these reports are

those of the authors and are not necessarily shared by the Federal Election Commission or any division thereof.

We welcome your comments on these reports

as well as any suggestions you may have for additional topics. You may mail these to us at:

The National Clearinghouse on

Election Administration

Federal Election Commission

999 E. Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20463

or else contact us

Toll free 800/424-9530

Direct on 202/219-3670

By FAX on 202/219-8500.

ii
All-mail-ballot elections, also called vote-by-mail,

are sometimes compared to elections conducted

entirely by absentee voting. But, whereas an absentee voter must request an absentee ballot, in

an all-mail-ballot election, the official ballot is usually mailed automatically to each registered voter

in the jurisdiction. Voted ballots are then returned

to the election office either by mail or in person,

eliminating the use of precinct polling places . According to its proponents, mail elections may also

increase voter accessibility and participation and

reduce costs and administrative complexity.

All-mail-ballot elections have recently received

a good deal of attention in the election community. The first all-mail-ballot election conducted

under authority of State law seems to have occurred in a 1977 Monterey, California, flood control district encompassing some 45,000 eligible

voters. County election officials reported more

than double the voter participation in that election as well as a savings of nearly $10,000 compared to previous elections held in that district

using polling places.

Since 1977, local jurisdictions in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico,

New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, and Washington have conducted all-mail-ballot elections.

These elections typically involve only ballot issues

or nonpartisan candidates and do not involve partisan candidates for public office, though some local jurisdictions in Alaska, Minnesota, Utah, and

Introduction

and History

Washington have expanded mail-ballot elections to

include partisan candidates.

California. Alpine County conducted its first allmail election in November 1993, a countywide

special election. San Diego's first was a May 1981

election on a proposed $224 million convention

center for a charter city, involving 430,000 registered voters. Stanislaus County conducted its first

for the charter city of Modesto in 1987, a charter

amendment and election of nonpartisan candidates, for 80,000 registered voters.

Colorado. The State law allowing mail elections

became effective on January 1, 1993, to increase

voter turnout in traditionally low-turnout elections.

Florida. All-mail-ballot legislation was first introduced in 1985 (and was adopted on the third

try), as an alternative method of conducting special elections, which tended to have low rates of

voter participation. The legislative sponsor represented a county with an area of 2,110 square

miles, in which a single precinct that covered

1,150 square miles had fewer than 500 people.

The first all-mail-ballot election in Florida was

conducted in late 1988 or early 1989 in Indian

River County, to dissolve a special parts and recreation district, involving fewer than 100 voters.

Collier County first conducted an all-mail-ballot

election in March 1989 on a municipal annexation, involving more than 18,500 voters. It has

since conducted two more special election in 1991

1
and three in 1993 by all-mail ballots. Broward

County held its first all-mail election on December 23, 1991, for the Sunrise Intercoastal Neighborhood Security District, a special district referendum on a property tax assessment. Orange

County has not conducted any countywide mail

ballot elections, but has held three local ones: a

city of Apopka charter revision referendum on

September 14, 1993 and a annexation referendums for Windermere City on December 9, 1993

and for Winter Park on May 3, 1994. Santa Rosa

County has not held a true mail ballot election,

but did conduct a city annexation election by mail,

involving only 18 voters.

Kansas. Kansas has allowed all-mail-ballot elections since 1983 for ballot issues and questions

only. The first such election was held in Comanche

County on September 13, 1993 ; local jurisdictions

have conducted almost 150 mail elections since

then. Sedgwick County conducted its first all-mail

election on April 10, 1984, a $1 .2 million school

district bond election. Since then they have conducted about 20 mail elections, including 3 in

early 1995. In 1985 they conducted a mail ballot

election for 175,000 voters.

Minnesota. The first all-mail-ballot election was

held in the city of Luverne, in September 1987, for

an election to approve a new city charter. The council chose to use a mail election to increase voter

turnout because a similar question in March 1987

had produced only an 8 per cent turnout; the mail

election turnout was 60 per cent. Carlton County's

first all-mail election was the 1992 primary, involving partisan and nonpartisan candidates for qualifying townships. Kittson County was authorized

by the Secretary of State to conduct elections by

mail, but has never conducted one countywide because the county was unable to acquire the grant

money needed to finance the cost. However, in 1988,

six precincts requested voting by mail for the primary and general election; and the county now has

ten precincts that vote by mail. Lake of the Woods

County had its first all mail election in June 1988,

for a Sunday liquor question; it was countywide

except for municipalities.

2

Missouri. The first all-mail-ballot election was

conducted in Adair County in February 1988

for a school levy for the Kirksville R-3 school

district. Maries County's only mail election was

on June 7, 1994, to establish a rural water district. St. Charles County had its first mail election on June 3, 1993, on a gas right-of-way, for

a small political subdivision with 83 registered

voters.

Montana. All-mail-ballot elections were approved in 1985 as a tool for county election administrators to help facilitate elections in rural areas. They may be used for special districts

and municipal elections, but not for primary

or general elections. Cascade County held a

mail election in September 1994 on a bond issue, for 50 voters. In 1991, Fergus County conducted a mail election for nonpartisan directors of a water and sewer district and for a

municipal general election for nonpartisan

council members and mayors in seven different jurisdictions. Lake County has held school

district, fire district, and irrigation district

elections by mail. Lincoln County commented

that special district elections are more convenient by mail ballot because the district boundaries do not usually conform to precinct boundaries, so a regular precinct polling place election is hard to conduct. Ravalli County conducted its first mail election in 1985, for fire

and irrigation drainage, annual trustee and

commissioner; it has held more than 100 allmail-ballot elections since then.

Nebraska. All-mail-ballot elections for nonpartisan trustees of Sanitary and Improvement Districts (SIDS) have been allowed since 1986 . Only

ten counties have SIDS, which have voting populations ranging from 5 to more than 2,000 voters. Both candidates and voters must be property owners, but need not be registered voters.

Douglas County (Omaha) has 136 SIDs, with half

holding an election every two years.

Nevada. Lander County conducted its first allmail-ballot election on November 16, 1993, a

countywide hospital bond election .
New Mexico. Chaves County held its first mail

election in 1985, on a special district fire tax, for

1500 voters. Otero County's first mail election was

on a countywide jail bond on November 11, 1989.

The first mail election in San Juan County was

on January 9, ]L990, a bond election to construct

two museums.

North Dakota. The first mail election in Adams

County was in June 1994 and was countywide.

Washington. All-mail-ballot elections for precincts with a small number of registered voters

(originally 100 or fewer) were first authorized in

1967; that provision of the law was subsequently

amended in 1974, 1983, and 1993 . The law authorizing the conducting of special elections by

all-mail ballot at the request of the jurisdiction

calling for the election was enacted in 1983 . Both

it and the subsequent two-year authorization for

any election to be held by all-mail ballot were

initiated at the request of the association of

county auditors and the elections division of the

Secretary of State's office.

Clark County (Vancouver, Washington) conducted the first all-mail election on May 15, 1984.

Cowlitz County's first mail election was the September 20, 1994, primary, which was countywide

and included partisan federal, state, and county

candidates as well as school bond issues . Ferry

County and Wahkiakum County also conducted

their first mail election in the countywide September 1994 primary. Douglas County first conducted an all-mail election in 1991, a special election for officers of the city of Bridgeport. The first

all-mail election in Island County was a nonpartisan school district election for 6,000 registered

voters in May 1994. San Juan County conducted

school elections in the 1980's, and expanded that

to include primaries in the 1990's. Thurston

County's first mail election was a special district

issue election in 1985.

The purpose of this report is to examine the experience of these State and local governments with

all-mail-ballot elections. It attempts to summarize

the experience with all-mail-ballot elections in a

single document that will enable other interested

jurisdictions to judge whether or not this innovation should be adopted and, if so, how it should be

implemented.

All fifty States were surveyed to assure that

no State that authorizes all-mail-ballot elections

was omitted from the report. The sixteen States

that have some form of all mail ballot elections

were sent a questionnaire and were requested to

provide a list of representative local jurisdictions

that had experience with all mail ballot elections

within that State. Responses were received from

eleven States and questionnaires were sent to

forty-five local jurisdictions, thirty-three of whom

returned completed questionnaires. Complete

names, addresses, and telephone numbers of

these respondents are listed in Appendix 8 .

3

Because the norm for elections is to require

voters to present themselves in person at their

precinct polling place during specified hours on

a specified day, or to request an absentee ballot

that is voted in person or by mail before election

day, all-mail-ballot elections require specific authorizing legislation. Most States that allow allmail-ballot elections restrict the types of elections

that may be conducted by this process. The most

common restriction is that only issues or questions may be on the ballot, though several also

allow for nonpartisan candidates. Some restrict

all-mail-ballot elections to a single specific type

of election; some restrict them to property owners. Some restrict them to jurisdictions under a

certain population or certain number of registered voters. A few States have allowed all elections to be conducted by all-mail ballots, usually

on a temporary, experimental basis.

California. Any local, special, or consolidated

election on issues or nonpartisan candidates may

be by mail ballot, so long as it does not fall on the

same day as a statewide primary or general election, is authorized by the governing body of the

local agency; and is one of the following : does not

involves more than 1000 eligible voters; is a maximum property tax rate election; is an election on

a measure or measures restricted to the imposition of special taxes, or expenditure limitation

overrides, or both, in a city, county, or special district with 5000 or fewer registered voters; is on

the issuance of a general obligation water bond;

or is an election of four specified water districts.

Legal and

Administrative

Authority

A special provision of State law allowing other

elections to be conducted by mail ballot in two

counties had a sunset provision and was not

renewed after January 1, 1995.

Colorado. Any political subdivision may conduct

any election for the political subdivision by mail

ballot under the supervision of the Secretary of

State and subject to the rules promulgated by the

Secretary of State, with the following exceptions:

elections or recall elections that involve partisan

candidates; elections held in conjunction with or

on the same day as a primary or congressional

vacancy election.

Florida. All-mail-ballot elections, under Chapter 87-364 of the Laws of Florida, may be used

for annexation/deannexation, expansion/contraction of districts; creation of new districts; approval

of tax levies for special purpose districts; initial

election for municipal incorporation; municipal

initiative petition elections, bond elections ; and

other ballot issues. Elections that may not be conducted by mail are those at which a candidate is

to be nominated, elected, retained, or recalled;

an election held on the same date as another election other than a mail ballot election; an election

district whose boundaries exceed those of a single

county; and straw ballots.

Kansas. State law spells out in detail the restrictions on mail ballot elections. They can only be

conducted if all of the following conditions are

met. They must be held on a date that is mutually agreed upon by the local jurisdiction submit5
ting the question and the county election officer

and that is no more than 120 days after the jurisdiction submits the request . The Secretary of State

must approve a written plan and timetable submitted by the county election officer. The election

must be nonpartisan; not concerned with election,

retention, or recall of any candidate ; and not held

on the same date as another election for that jurisdiction. The mail election must be a question that

is submitted only to all qualified elections in one of

the following subdivisions of government : counties,

school districts, townships, benefit districts, cemetery districts, combined sewer districts, community college districts, fire districts, hospital districts,

improvement districts, Johnson county park and

recreation district, sewage disposal districts, or

water districts.

Minnesota. The 1991 statute allows any statutory or home rule charter city or town having

fewer than 400 registered voter on June 1 of an

election year and not located in a metropolitan

county to conduct a mail ballot election at any

city, county, or state election. The governing body

may apply to the County Auditor for permission

to conduct a mail election ; the county board may

provide for mail elections in unorganized territory. A county, municipality, or school district may

submit no more than two questions at a mail election and no offices may be voted on. In addition,

the Secretary of State was authorized to allow

Ramsay and Kittson counties to conduct mail

elections on an experimental basis, with the Secretary of State reporting to the legislature on

them by January 15, 1993 . The Secretary of State

was directed to adopt rules for the conduct of mail

ballot elections, including instructions to voters,

procedures for challenge of voters, public observation of the counting of ballots, and procedures

for proper handling and safeguarding of ballots

to ensure the integrity of the election. Because

Minnesota allows voter registration on election

day, special provision is made for voters who are

not pre-registered to vote by absentee ballot.

Missouri. Restrictions on mail ballot elections require that the officer or agency calling the election

must submit a written request for a mail election;

6

the election authority responsible for conducting

the election must authorize the mail election; the

election must be nonpartisan and must not be one

at which any candidate is election, retained, or recalled; and the mail election must be an issue election at which the qualified voters of any one political subdivision are the only voters eligible to vote.

Montana. The following elections may be conducted by mail ballot: an election in a political subdivision required to hold annual elections ; an election in a town; an election conducted in an unincorporated area; and a special election called by a

local govermental unit for the sole purpose of submitting one or more ballot issues to its qualified

electors if such special election is not held in conjunction with a statutorily scheduled election.

Nebraska. Mail elections are permitted only for

Sanitary and Improvement District (SID) elections and only property owners are allowed to

vote. Ten counties have such districts, but Douglas

County has the greatest number and conducts most

of these SID mail elections.

Nevada. State law authorizes all-mail-ballot

elections only in precincts in which there were

not more than 200 voters registered for the last

preceding general election, or in precincts in

which it appears to the satisfaction of the county

or city clerk that there are not more than 200

registered voters.

New Mexico. Only issues or questions, no candidates, may appear on the ballot in all mail elections. The regulation of mail elections is the

responsibility of the counties that conduct them.

North Dakota. The board of county commissioners of a county may conduct a primary election

by mail ballot. The mail ballot election must include city elections administered by the County

Auditor, and it may include any other election

administered by the County Auditor under an

agreement with the governing body of a political

subdivision within the county. At least one polling place in the county must be open on the day

of the election for voting in person . The County

Auditor must place a notice at all polling places

YpnYNgllpWY1°'
in the county used at the last statewide election,

stating the location of the polling places that are

open for the primary election. Because North

Dakota does not have voter registration, the

County Auditor is required to mail, between 45

and 30 days before the election, an application

form for a mail ballot to each person listed in the

pollbooks of the county from the last regular

statewide election. The County Auditor must also

publish in the official newspaper of the county,

for two consecutive weeks after mail ballot application forms are mailed, a copy of the application form and a notice that additional forms may

be obtained from the election official.

Washington. State law provides for different

restrictions on mail ballot elections in different

situations. (1) The County Auditor may conduct

any primary, general, or special election by mail

ballot in any precinct having fewer than 200 active registered voters. At the first such election,

the County Auditor must deliver a notice that the

election will be conducted by mail, an application form for a mail ballot, and a postage-paid

return envelope . A mail ballot must be issued to

each voter who returns an application by election day, and that application is valid in all subsequent mail elections in that precinct. (2) A

county, city, town, or district may request that

any nonpartisan special election not being held

in conjunction with a state primary or general

election be conducted by mail ballot, but the

County Auditor may accept or refuse the request.

No such special election may be conducted by mail

if candidates for partisan office are on the ballot.

For these special elections, the County Auditor

must send a mail ballot to each active voter ; but

the County Auditor may choose whether to send

inactive voters a ballot or an application to receive a ballot. If an inactive voter returns either a

ballot or an application, the voter's status is restored

to active . (3) Under a temporary exception to all

restrictions, for a two-year period from June 1994

to June 1996, County Auditors may conduct mail

elections in any precinct for any primary or general election, partisan or nonpartisan.

7

The only qualification that most States require

for voting in art all-mail-ballot election is being a

registered voter whose registration address is

within the jurisdiction conducting the election,

be that a county, municipality, or special district.

There are, of course, exceptions. Nebraska requires that both candidates and voters must be a

property owners of record within the Sanitary and

Improvement District that is conducting an election in order to be eligible to vote in the district

election, but neither voters nor candidates are required to be registered voters. Because North Dakota does not have voter registration, any qualified elector of the State may vote in an all-mailelection conducted in the elector's jurisdiction, but

the elector must complete and return an application for a ballot. Minnesota allows election-day

registration at conventional precinct elections; for

all-mail elections, electors who have not registered

prior to the 20th day before election day may vote

by absentee ballot. Montana also has election day

registration, with similar requirements for voters

who have not pre-registered.

The State of Washington has different rules

for three different situations: (1) All voters who

submit written requests to be placed on the

county's permanent absentee ballot roster are

mailed absentee-style mail ballots for all elections

in which they are eligible to vote. (2) Local election officials (County Auditors) may designate any

precinct with fewer than 200 active registered

voters as a vote-by-mail precinct . The Auditor

Who is Entitled

to Receive

All-Mail-Ballot

Materials

must initially send a ballot request form to each

voter in the designated precinct; ballot request

forms that are returned are kept on file and those

voters are automatically sent mail ballots for all

applicable elections. (3) In any election that is

designated a vote-by-mail election, all active registered voters within the jurisdiction are mailed

ballots.

9

What is Allowed or Prohibited

Most States that authorize all-mail-ballot elections restrict them to issues only, such as tax levies, bond issues, and other nonpartisan ballot

questions. Florida also restricts them to only

those districts that are wholly contained within

a single county. All-mail-ballot elections are usually not allowed for elections that involve the nomination, election, retention, or recall of candidates,

especially partisan candidates.

There are a number of exceptions to this generalization. Several States permit all-mail-ballot elections for candidates in smaller municipalities, special districts, or those involving only nonpartisan candidates.

Colorado does not allow all-mail-ballot elections

to be conducted for partisan or recall elections;

nor for school board elections that are not conducted in coordination with the county clerk ; nor

for elections held on the same day as a primary

or Congressional vacancy election.

Florida allows all-mail-ballot elections for annexation or deannexation, for expansion or contraction of districts, for creation of new districts,

for approval of tax levies for special purpose districts; for initial election for municipal incorporation, for municipal initiative petition election;

and for bond elections and similar issues. It does

not allow all-mail-ballot elections for any election at which a candidate is to be nominated,

elected, retained, or recalled; nor an election held

The Types of

Elections Best

Suited to All-Mail

Balloting

on the same date as another election that is not

an all-mail-ballot election; nor in any election

district whose boundaries extend beyond a single

county; nor any straw ballot election.

Kansas does not allow all-mail-ballot elections

for partisan elections or any election in which a

candidate is to be elected, retained, or recalled;

nor may they be held on the same date as another election.

Minnesota allows municipalities with fewer than

400 registered voters to conduct all-mail-ballot elections for State primary and general elections, but

otherwise restricts all-mail-ballot elections in a

county, municipality, or school district to special

elections on no more than two ballot questions.

Missouri all-mail-ballot elections must be nonpartisan, and the election authority must give written

authorization for the election to be conducted by

mail. No election to elect, retain, or recall a candidate may be conducted by mail ballots.

Montana prohibits all-mail-ballot elections in

conjunction with primary, general, or statutorily

scheduled elections; for any recall elections; or

for any election involving candidates, except in

political subdivisions required to hold annual

election, elections in cities of the third class whose

candidates are elected without party designation,

or elections in towns.

Nevada does not have all-mail-ballot elections,

strictly speaking, but does have mail precincts.

11
New Mexico does not allow all-mail-ballot elections for statewide elections. However, many of

the counties have all-mail-ballot elections for

questions.

North Dakota allows all-mail-ballot elections

only for statewide primaries, allowing each

county to decide whether it wants to conduct the

election by mail. It does not allow statewide general nor special elections to be conducted by allmail ballot.

Washington has historically allowed only special elections to be conducted by all-mail ballot,

and only with the agreement of all jurisdictions

that had issues on the ballot. However, that State

has a two-year legislative authorization (June

1994-June 1996) for county auditors, at their discretion, to conduct any primary or general election

by all-mail ballot; seven counties conducted the September 1994 primary election by all-mail ballot.

Opinions

Most respondents seem satisfied to have all-mailballot elections restricted to ballot issues only or

to very small jurisdictions and local nonpartisan

elections. But some election officials who have

conducted all-mail-ballot elections that included

partisan candidates (California, Minnesota,

Washington) believe that this process works well

for any type of election. Some Florida officials

noted that the very low turnout for such partisan candidate elections as primaries and runoffs

would seem to make all-mail-ballot elections a

means to improve voter participation in those

elections, but this was not included in their legislation because it proved to be the stumbling

block to the act's adoption.

12
Every election needs preplanning within statutory time frames, and all-mail-ballot elections are

no exception. An experienced jurisdiction's plan

may be a simple list of statutory deadlines, with

the election officials filling in the rest intuitively,

based on their experience about how long it takes

to accomplish certain tasks. But most jurisdictions find that they avoid problems by planning

every step of the process, anticipating time and

staff requirements from start to finish ; and a

number of States require that local jurisdictions

submit a plan before a mail ballot election can be

authorized. Certainly it appears that jurisdictions

that have conducted complex or large mail ballot

elections successfully have used detailed descriptions of deadlines, assignment of responsibilities,

and procedures.. This clarifies exactly what must

be done and when, how it is to be done, and by

whom, so that nothing falls through the cracks.

Some jurisdictions prepare separate documents for planning, a timeline, and procedures;

others combine two or more of these documents.

A complete election plan with a very detailed

timeline, description of procedures and materials, and clear assignment of responsibilities is

especially important the first few times a jurisdiction conducts an all-mail-ballot election. Apostelection review of this complete documentation

enables the election official to amend deadlines,

procedures, documents, and responsibilities to correct errors, oversights, and problems before the next

election. The documentation can also provide

evidence if any aspect of the election is challenged.

Planning and

Time Frames

While such detailed documentation may not

be as necessary after the all-mail-ballot process

has been used a number of times and is familiar

to voters, campaigns, and officials, it should be

preserved. It can be used by subsequent officials,

who may not be familiar with all the planning

and preparation required for an all-mail-ballot

election. Examples of planning checklists,

timelines, and procedures are in Appendix 2.

San Diego County, CA, produced a 120-page

booklet documenting their 1981 citywide election,

containing all procedures, flow charts, costs,

sample materials, critiques, and follow-up.

Sedgwick County, KS, prepared a 44-page report containing detailed descriptions of all procedures used in a mail election; copies of all documents authorizing the election; contacts with

authorities; examples of ballot materials, notices,

forms; costs and staffing; tallies and a sample

printout. Using the report, it would be possible

to know who to contact and how to conduct a mail

election in that county.

While most jurisdictions hold elections on Tuesdays, Sedgwick County has found that Thursday

is the best day to hold an all-mail election because

of the way the mail is returned. They found that

half of all ballots that are going to be returned are

received during the first week after mailing. Tuesdays are the days with the largest receipt of ballots. By Thursday the number of ballots received is

low, so last-minute verification does not delay the

results as it might with a Tuesday election date .

13
Cowlitz and Thurston counties, WA, provided

some useful statistics on when and how ballots

were returned to the election office in their mail

ballot primaries held on September 20, 1994, and

September 14, 1993, respectively. These figures

may help jurisdictions that are contemplating a

mail ballot election for the first time to anticipate their workload . It may also be useful to note

that 8.8 and 10 per cent of the ballots mailed were

returned as undeliverable, and that only a fraction of a per cent of the voted ballots had to be

rejected.

BALLOT FLOW, COWLITZ COUNTY, WA, PRIMARY MAIL ELECTION

SEPTEMBER 20, 1994

[Total ballots mailed — 45,550']

Date Mailed In Brought In Total Cast Undeliverable No Signature

Tue, 9-06 495 187 682 846 10

Wed, 9-07 3,159 115 3,274 617 25

Thu, 9-08 2,001 106 2,107 1,037 16

Fri, 9-09 1,334 80 1,414 508 17

Mon, 9-12 2,018 87 2,105 458 21

Tue, 9-13 1,588 77 1,665 62 18

Wed, 9-14 1,127 123 1,250 58 19

Thu, 9-15 1,347 120 1,467 72 6

Fri, 9-16 1,045 137 1,182 220 12

Mon, 9-19 2,385 347 2,732 65 8

Tue, 9-20 2,428 1,304 3,732 17 24

Wed, 9-212 2,020 0 2,020 9 13

Later2 310 0 310 34 3

TOTAL 21,257 2,683 23,940

52.6%

4,003

8.8%

192

0.8%

1 The deadline for mailing ballots for the September 20 primary was September 5, but that was Labor Day, so ballots had to be mailed by

Saturday, September 3, or held until Tuesday, September 6.

2 Washington State law allows ballots that are postmarked by election day to be counted.

14
BALLOT FLOW, THURSTON COUNTY, WA, PRIMARY ELECTION

SEPTEMBER 14, 1993

[Total ballots mailed Monday, August 30 — 72,588]

Date Mailed In Brought In Total Cast Undeliverable Remote Sites

Wed, 9-01 132 0 132 4

Thu, 9-02 3,430 75 3,505 336

Fri, 9-03 2,488 60 2,548 6,146

Tue, 9-07 2,900 63 2,963 1,516

Wed, 9-08 2,841 111 2,952 623

Thu, 9-09 1,327 82 1,409 0

Fri, 9-10 1,201 75 1,276 78

Mon, 9-13 2,140 56 2,196 66

Tue, 9-14 3,035 241 3,276 10

Wed, 9-15 2,445 249 3,817 0 1,123

Thu, 9-16 143 0 143 23

Fri, 9-17 0 0 0 0

TOTAL 23,266 1,012 24,217

33.38%

7,286

10%

Number of replacement ballots issued 76 Reasons : (continued)

Reasons : Destroyed 1 Wrong Signature 20

Lost 9 Attempted to vote twice 1

Spoiled 1

2 ballots in one envelope 3

Not Received 65 Ballot signed by unregistered voter 1

Number of ballots counted 23,803 Ballot voted by ineligible voter 1

Number of ballots rejected 475 Ballot returned without envelopes 1

Reasons : Received Late 144 Ballot with write-ins that voter

No Signature 303 was not eligible to vote for

15
Publicity

Jurisdictions that have conducted successful

mail ballot elections have provided extensive

publicity about the process before and during the

voting period. Only one jurisdiction reported

lower voter turnout for a mail election than for

comparable elections held at pollling places, and

they evidently did not publicize the election

widely; many electors commented that they did

not know that an election was going on and did

not notice their ballots.

We are talking lots of publicity. This is especially important when an all-mail-election is conducted for the first time in a jurisdiction and

whenever a mail election is held for some local

jurisdictions (a school or fire district, a municipality) at the same time that a regular polling

place election is being held in other local jurisdictions. Otherwise voters will simply not understand what they are supposed to do.

In addition to the customary legal notices of

election that appear in the newspaper, counties

issued news releases explaining what a mail election meant, how it would work, when the ballots

would be mailed, when they were mailed, when

and how the ballots were to be voted, when and

how they were to be returned, when and how they

would be counted. They also held news conferences to explain the whole procedure to members

of the news media; they did interviews and talk

shows on radio and television; they got feature

stories into the newspapers; they got countdowns

to election day on the front page of the newspaper to remind people daily to return their voted

ballots on time. Some officials did a mailing to

all registered voters a week or so before they

mailed the ballots, alerting voters to the fact that

they would receive their ballot in the mail in a

few days and to look for it; this mailing also gave

them another opportunity to explain the whole

process, to explain how to obtain a ballot if one

was not received, and to address the concerns that

some voters have about the secrecy of their ballot and the integrity of the process.

16

Several jurisdictions noted that they have had

to rewrite and simplify their mail absentee instructions when they conducted mail elections,

using terms that are familiar to voters instead of

election jargon. For example, they refer to "voters" instead of "electors" ; they refer to envelope

by color instead of "secrecy envelope" and "return

envelope"; one county included a simple map

showing the sites where ballots could be dropped

off on election day.

One aspect of planning for an all-mail-ballot

election that cannot be overlooked is the close

cooperation required between election officials

and the postal service authorities. Early and frequent consultation about mailing requirements,

costs, and deadlines will help minimize costs,

ensure that ballots are delivered promptly to voters, and ensure that voted ballots are returned

to the election office in time to be counted .
Procedures

The procedures that Minnesota summarized

in a 1989 report on its first three experimental

mail elections are typical of all-mail-ballot procedures in most States. After approval by the

Secretary of State of the request from a local jurisdiction to conduct a special election by mail,

the election jurisdiction was required to notify

the voters at least six weeks prior to the election. The notice included an explanation of the

mail voting procedures. Beginning on the 20th

day before the election, ballots were mailed to

all registered voters in the jurisdiction . All postage for mailing ballots to and from the voters

was paid by the election jurisdiction . Each voter

also received a survey card, to be filled out and

returned to the Secretary of State . Any voter

whose ballot was returned by the post office as

undeliverable was challenged. Any voter not registered on the 20th day was permitted to register and vote by absentee ballot. Ballots could be

returned to the city clerk or county auditor until

8:00 P.M. on election day, either in person or by

mail. On election day, the election judges examined each ballot return envelope to determine if

it was properly executed by a person eligible to

vote on the question. At the conclusion of voting

hours, the ballots were counted.

A similar procedure is followed in most States,

although voters usually must be registered beforehand. Some jurisdictions noted that conducting an all-mail-ballot election is very much like

dealing with a gigantic mail absentee vote . The

preparation and procedures are often the same

as those spelled out in State law and rules for

processing all mail ballots.

How and When Mail Ballot

Materials Are Sent to Voters

Ballots are usually sent to all registered voters two to three weeks before the deadline for

their return to the election office (on "election

day"). However, there are exceptions . South Dakota has no list of registered voters because they

do not require registration, so they send a mail

ballot application card before the election to each

voter whose name appears on the pollbooks for

the last general election. The application form is

also reproduced in newspapers with the notice

of the election. In addition, Renville County enlisted the aid of township and city officials to be

sure all eligible persons received application

cards. Douglas County, NE, has to compile the

list of eligible voters for their Sanitary and Improvement District elections by consulting lists

of property owners in other county offices . Washington allows each County Auditor to decide

whether to send ballots or just applications for ballots to inactive voters on the voter registration list.

Most jurisdictions prepare and assemble the

ballot materials with their own staff and mail them

using first class mail. However, several use bulk

mailing, and a few jurisdictions have negotiated

the use of bulk mailing rates with first class delivery, with their local post office. A few have

contracted with mailing services to assemble the

17
prepared materials. All agree that it is essential

to work closely with their local post office to assure timely delivery of all ballots. Most States

require that all ballots be mailed at the same time,

but a few allow them to be mailed in batches. North

Dakota mails ballots as applications are received

by the election office.

How and When Mail Ballot

Materials Are Returned to the

Election Office

Most jurisdictions require that ballots be received by the election office by the time the polls

would close on election day. This means that ballots that are returned by mail must be mailed a

few days before election day to assure their delivery by the deadline . Washington accepts a

postmark deadline ; that is, any ballot envelope

that is postmarked on or before election day is

accepted if it is received within a specified number of days after the election . In at least one jurisdiction, this has led to problems when the post

office closed at the end of business on election

day, stranding ballots that were mailed after the

close of business but before the time when the

polls would have closed . Several local officials

have arranged for a late delivery or pick-up of

ballots after the poll-closing deadline to avoid this

problem. One smaller jurisdiction even arranged

to have a ballot box at the post office, which was

picked up right after the poll-closing deadline on

election day.

Most jurisdictions also allow voters to vote

their ballots in person or to drop off ballots at

the election office right up until the poll-closing

deadline. Many also provide auxiliary drop-off

locations for voted ballots, either on election day

only or for the entire period after ballots have

been mailed. This accommodates those voters

who want to deposit their secret ballots in a regular ballot box and those who want to save the

(postage) "poll tax".

18

How and When Mail Ballots are

Verified

Because the voter does not appear in person

to cast a vote in all-mail-ballot elections, there

can be no reliance on pollworkers' knowing the

identity of the voter. Therefore, signature verification becomes the critical element in assuring that the ballot was in fact voted by that

voter. This can be an enormously time-consuming task if every signature must be compared

to the signature on the original voter registration form. Some jurisdictions try to alleviate

this problem by arranging the ballots by precinct as they are received, then comparing signatures for all of the ballots from each precinct

at one time. But the more common solution

(eleven local respondents), particularly in

larger jurisdictions, is to compare the voter's

signature to a digitized signature displayed on

a computer screen . At the same time, the

voter's record can be marked to indicate that a

voted ballot has been returned, thus preventing double voting and precluding the need to

update the voter history after the election.

Sedgwick County, KS, has found that the major reason for nonmatching signatures is that

a spouse or other family member signs the

envelope for all voters in a household.

How and When Mail Ballots Are

Tallied

Verified return ballot envelopes are opened,

separating the secrecy envelope and its ballot

from the identification on the return envelope.

If punch cards are used, the ballots are checked

for hanging chads and damaged cards, and damaged cards are re-made . The ballots are sorted

by precinct and prepared for tallying just as in

any election. Most jurisdictions have all ballots

ready for complete tallying immediately after the

poll-closing deadline, providing results within a

few minutes after the polls would have closed .
In States that have a "mailed-by" deadline instead of a "received-by" deadline, the procedures

are the same but the results available on election night are necessarily incomplete . The final

results are available only after the 5-, 10-, or 15-

day deadline for receipt of ballots after election

day.

How Undeliverable Ballots

(That Are Returned to the

Election Office by the Postal

Service) Are Dealt With

All jurisdictions mail ballots by non-forwardable

mail, to be returned to the sender if the addressee

is unknown at that address. All of them retain returned undeliverable ballots, but many local election officials go to amazing lengths to track down

these voters so they can receive their ballots. Most

sort undeliverable ballots into precinct number

order or alphabetically by voter name so the ballots are easily accessible when a voter calls about

not receiving a ballot. But a number go much

further than that, employing any or all of the

following procedures:

n They check their registration records to see if

they have made an error in the address; if so,

they correct it and re-mail the ballot right away.

n If the postal service supplies a forwarding address, they check that it is within the correct

jurisdiction. If it is, they re-mail the ballot to

the new address and update the voter's registration address. If it is not, they send the voter

a notice to confirm the new address or cancel

his registration. If the postal service did not

make a notation on the envelope about why

the ballot was undeliverable, one jurisdiction

calls the post office to determine why the ballot was not deliverable.

n Some check with other county departments for

more up-to-date addresses, and some even telephone voters for whom they can find a phone

number.

Douglas County, Nebraska, has an unusual

problem, in that the voters in their SIDs elections do not have to be registered . So the names

and addresses of eligible voters must be obtained

from the Registrar of Deeds and the County Assessor. Undeliverable ballots that cannot be identified by the county election official are turned

over to troubleshooters in those two offices. North

Dakota, on the other hand, does not have the

problem of undeliverable ballots, because each

voter in that non-registration State must request

a ballot and provide the correct mailing address

for each election.

Local election officials generally do not mind

the extra work of trying to track down addresses

for these ballots because the undeliverables help

them keep their voter registration rolls clean by

triggering a confirmation mailing that will yield

an updated registration or an eventual purge.

How Ballots That Are Not

Delivered or Not Received by

Voters are Dealt With

The procedures for dealing with voters who

were entitled to ballots but did not receive them

overlap the procedures for dealing with undeliverable ballots, since many of the undeliverables

are not received because the voter has changed

residence and has neglected to notify the election office of the new address. Almost all respondents described a procedure for issuing a second

ballot and for the record-keeping necessary to

prevent double voting. They require a written application or affidavit that a ballot was not received

and that the voter will not vote twice ; the voter's

record is flagged to indicate that a second ballot

was issued; and the lost ballot numbers are recorded so they can be spotted if they show up and

to balance the count after the election.

Because there is no way for election officials to

know that a voter has not received a ballot unless the voter tells them so, most officials publicize the mailing of the ballots widely and include

19
instructions for how voters may obtain a ballot if

they fail to receive one . Some jurisdictions require

the voter to apply in writing for a second ballot

in person at the election office, but some allow

application by mail or through a third person.

For example, Alpine County, CA, and Douglas

County, WA, mail a duplicate ballot if there is

time before election day; otherwise they have the

voter come to the office to vote.

San Diego County voters may request a second ballot in person, by sending an authorized

representative, or by letter. The voter signs a

second-ballot oath; the affidavit was manually

flagged with a colored card and check mark in

1981, but is now automatically flagged on the

computer. Unreceived or lost ballots were available until six days before election day during

the 1981 election ; ballots that were not received

because of an error on the part of the election

office (185 ballots) were delivered personally

to the voters.

Stanislaus County, CA, used the media to publicize widely to voters information that the election was occurring, when ballots were mailed, and

to notify the elections division if the voter did not

receive their ballot. Upon receipt of such notifications, the voter was sent another ballot and a

notice for them to sign stating that they had not

received their original ballot and they would not

vote twice. The computer system would not accept a double vote from any voter. On election

day, voters who discovered they had not received

a ballot could go either to the elections division

or to one of 12 publicized locations to receive a

ballot.

Orange County, FL, used newspaper advertisements to explain the action a voter must take if a

ballot is not received. The voter must appear in

person at the election office to fill out a request

for replacement ballots.

Fergus County, MT, will even also send

replacement ballots by FAX if necessary.

20

How Ballots That are Spoiled

and Need to be Replaced are

Dealt With

The procedures for replacing spoiled ballots are

analogous to those for replacing lost ballots or

spoiled absentee ballots. All jurisdictions require

some kind of application or affidavit. Most require

the voter to appear in person at the election office; but some will mail a replacement ballot. All

allow a second ballot to be issued if the first is

spoiled, and a few will allow a third . Some instruct the voter to return the spoiled ballot to

the election office, but most have the voter destroy it or the office itself either destroys or separates spoiled ballots for later accounting . All keep

careful records to prevent double voting . One

county insists that voters who have spoiled three

ballots must appear in person for assistance in

voting another ballot.

How Voters Who Will Be Out of

the Jurisdiction from Before the

Time when Ballots are Mailed

Until after the Time When They

Must Be Returned Are Dealt With

Local election officials are far too polite to say

that this was a stupid question to ask. However,

their answers made it clear that all jurisdictions

deal with this problem the same way they deal

with out-of-town voters in any election—by absentee ballot. Any voters who will not be at their

registration address when the mail ballots are

sent out needs to send an absentee application to

the election office, stating where they would like

their ballot sent. These voters' names are then

deleted from the list before the regular mail ballots are sent, so they will not get two ballots . Some

jurisdictions took note of the fact that all-mailballot elections often occur on dates that are not

regular election times; therefore they advertise

the election widely, with instructions for obtaining absentee ballots. San Juan County, NM, will

also FAX ballots to absentee voters or will give
them submarine ballots before they leave . Again, lack of legal authority to do anything about it.

all jurisdictions must take care that absentee See also the chapter in this report on Integrity

voters do not inadvertently receive or vote more of the Election Process for further discussion of

than one ballot. this issue.

How Out-of-Country Voters (Who

Generally Need at Least 45 Days

to Receive and Return a Mailed

Ballot) are Dealt With

Several jurisdictions noted that they have

never had any out-of-country voters for an allmail-ballot election, so they have not been faced

with this concern. Those that have dealt with it

have done so in a variety of ways.

Stanislaus County mails specially printed ballots 60 days before the election for out-of-county

and military voters. Florida follows its regular

overseas and military voter laws. Washington

voters may use submarine write-in ballots; overseas voters also have 40 days to return regular

mail ballots; Island and San Juan counties will

also FAX ballots to them.

How Voters Who Are Confined to

a Facility Such as a Nursing

Home, Who Might Be Subject to

Undue Influence in Marking

Their Ballots, Are Dealt With

At least half the respondents have not dealt

with this concern, either because they have had

no such facilities in the jurisdictions that have

conducted all-mail-ballot elections, or because

their statutes and administrative procedures do

not address it. Some who have addressed it, such

as Broward (FL), Kittson (MN), and Lincoln (MT)

counties, send election office staffers to assist

voters in nursing homes. Others publicize the

legal constraints against improper influence and

depend on the nursing home staffs or family

members to assist voters. Several commented

that they follow their usual absentee voting rules

and hope for the best, noting their concern but

21

Ballot Materials

The ballot materials include the actual ballot,

whether an ordinary paper ballot, an optical scan

or mark sense paper ballot, a punch card containing only numbers, or a punch card containing the

issues and/or candidates. Most jurisdictions using

a punch card ballot also include a punching device;

some jurisdictions using paper ballots include a

very slim pencil for marking the ballot. Those jurisdictions using numbers-only punch cards also

send information that indicates the correct number to be punched for or against each issue and for

each candidate . In addition, the ballot materials

include detailed instructions about how to mark or

punch the ballot and the proper procedures for returning the ballot. A secrecy envelope and a return

mailing envelope, with or without return postage

affixed, are included. Some jurisdictions also include information about the issues and/or candidates. Some have also included a survey form for

voters to report their opinions of the all-mail-ballot election process, usually when conducting the

first mail election in a jurisdiction.

Equipment and Personnel

Several jurisdictions, especially those that have

conducted large elections, strongly recommend

some specific pieces of equipment to make the efficient handling of thousands of ballots practicable.

These same suggestions would also expedite the

processing of mailed-in absentee ballots in a regular pollling-place election.

Supplies, Materials,

Equipment,

and Staff

A high-speed letter opener was mentioned frequently as a necessity for opening large numbers

of return mailing envelopes and secrecy envelopes.

Digitized voter signatures that can be displayed on a computer terminal for comparison to

the signature on a return envelope were regarded

as essential in large elections and very useful in

small ones. They enable election workers to verify

signatures in a fraction of the time needed if each

signature must be compared to the original voter

registration form. Thurston County, WA, recommended obtaining as many computer terminals

as possible to facilitate signature comparison.

A low-tech suggestion for facilitating the processing of ballots was access to a large space with plenty

of big tables. This makes it possible to arrange

the room for efficient flow of work, while separating the various functions involved in opening,

checking, verifying, and counting ballots.

The processing of lots of mail ballots also requires

the assistance of lots of people . Most jurisdictions

hire and train temporary help to expedite the process, so votes will be timely counted . Many recruit

experienced pollworkers; some manage with only

their own staff members or augment them with

county employees from other offices; some use a

mailing service to assemble the ballot materials for

mailing; one even obtained the services of volunteers to prepare the ballots for tabulating. No matter the source of workers, they need complete,

detailed instructions and careful supervision .

23

Costs and Staffing

Every jurisdiction contemplating all-mail-ballot elections wants to know whether these elections save money. As is so often the case with the

costs of elections, the answer seems to be, it depends or it varies. Some of the factors that affect

cost include the size of the jurisdiction, the type

of election, whether pre-election notices are sent

to voters, whether return postage for voted ballots is paid by the election office or by the voter,

and whether the cost is figured by comparing the

total cost of precinct versus mail election or by

comparing the cost per vote.

The big saving is in polling places and

pollworkers and all their attendant costs. There

is no need to rent any polling places, no costs in

preparing and transporting voting devices, no pay

for pollworkers or their training.

Most local officials agree that there are also

certain savings with printing costs, because there

is no need to print extra ballots in anticipation of

possible higher-than-normal turnout at the polls;

a ballot is mailed to every eligible voter, so the

only extra ballots needed are for replacing lost or

spoiled ballots.

Some local officials also report lower costs for

their office personnel because the ability to spread

the workload over a longer period of time reduces

overtime pay. However, others report that conducting the election by mail puts more of a burden on office staff because all of the work is done

in-house. The cost of hiring temporary workers

can add significantly to the cost of the election.

Several commented that an all-mail-ballot election saves money if the election is a special election

involving only one or two issues; but an issue can

be added to a regular precinct polling place election at lower cost than conducting a separate mail

election. They also noted that an all-mail-ballot election may be more cost-effective in smaller jurisdictions than in larger ones, because the cost per voter

decreases when polling places serve large numbers

of voters.

The biggest increase in costs is postage for

mailing the ballots. This cost is of course increased even more if the return postage for voted

ballots is paid by the election office . Some local

jurisdictions have negotiated first class service

for bulk mailing costs by working closely with

their local post office, but most pay first class

postage to assure timely delivery.

Another major cost is voter instructions and

envelopes, which must be specially printed in different colors and sizes for mailing, return, and

secrecy.

Following are some specific responses on costs

from respondents.

San Diego County, CA, reported that the cost

of its 1981 election was 25-30 per cent less than

a comparable polling place election. However, the

savings are estimated to be less now since they

have reduced the number of polling places. The

costs for postage and temporary workers offset

the savings from polling places and pollworkers.

25
Stanislaus County, CA, reported that mail elections since 1987 have saved 50 per cent of the

cost of precinct elections, in spite of the fact that

they pay the return postage for voted ballots.

They have managed this saving by working

closely with their post office . Instead of mailing

their sample ballot (containing information about

all the ballot issues) separately, they mail the

sample ballot in the same mailing with the mail

ballot. They use third class bulk rate and they

also use a postal program called Brahmas that

gives them a reduced postage rate on business

reply mail for their voted ballots. They hired five

temporary employees at minimum wage for a

mail election ; election officers for a precinct election would have cost $70,000-80,000.

Broward County, FL, found that the cost of

their postage and mailing supplies approximately

equaled the cost of precinct elections.

Collier County, FL, reported total costs for a

March 7, 1989, mail election on an annexation

question. It involved 20,509 registered voters

(18,904 active voters) for the city of Naples and

annexed areas; the actual cost of the mail election was $68,188 ; the estimated cost for conducting the election at the polls was $72,578.

Orange County, FL, provided the following comparative costs for two elections conducted for the

city of Apopka:

Precinct election, Dec . 8, 1994 $2,118.30

(1 precinct)

Mail election, Sept. 14, 1993 $7,611.23

The cost comparisons are somewhat distorted

because of the publication of a lengthy ordinance

in both English and Spanish . They also provided

breakdowns of the actual costs of a countywide

second primary election held on October 4, 1994,

compared to the estimated costs of a similar

countywide election.

26
ACTUAL COSTS, COUNTYWIDE SECOND PRIMARY, 10-4-94

Personnel

Salaries and wages (pollworkers, temps, etc .) $127,598.98

Overtime 7,691 .01

FICA 8,387.97

Medicare 1,961 .70

Contract services 5,389.00

Polling places

Rental 6,500.00

Delivery & pick up of voting equipment 5,227.99

Utilities 163.23

Local travel 1,422.63

Communications 2,091 .80

Recording fees 382 .50

Consumable election supplies 10,309.18

Postage 16,044.98

Advertising 925 .60

Printing 38,843.66

Equipment 1,376.45

TOTAL $236,770.14

27
ESTIMATED COSTS, SIMILAR COUNTYWIDE ELECTION

Personnel

Tabulator operators (135,000 x $2/M x 5) $ 1,350

Ballot opening (135,000 ballots) 12,075

Signature verification (135,000 @ $A 0 ea) 13,500

Stuffing mailing (270,000 ballots) 28,803

Canvassing board (6 hrs) 146

Public ballot examination (3 hrs) 41

Staff (book closing, mailed ballots, testing, etc .) 2,000

Printing

Ballots (270,000 x $ .12) 32,400

Mailing envelopes (270,000 x $68 .30/M) 18,441

Return envelopes (270,000 x S69/M) 18,630

Secrecy envelopes (270,000 x $52/M) 14,040

Postage: under 1 oz (267,000 x $.29) *77,430

OR over 1 oz (267,000 x $ .52) *138,840

ESTIMATED TOTAL $219,000

28
Kansas has kept track of the results, turnout,

and costs of all local all-mail-ballot elections since

1983. Almost all of these elections were either

bond issue or tax questions. The voter turnout

ranged from 48 to 99 per cent; 57 per cent of the

issues passed. A chart listing these issues, showing whether each passed or failed, the number of

electors, the turnout percentage, and the total

cost, is in Appendix 7.

Sedgwick County, KS, is required by State law

to pay the return postage on voted ballots. If it

were not for that cost, they believe that mail elections would be extremely cost effective . Even including that cost, the cost per ballot is much less

than for precinct elections: mail elections cost

about 70 cents per voter, while similar traditional

elections cost more than $2.00 per voter. They

report that mail elections in small jurisdictions

create little in the way of staff requirements,

while large elections require some temporary employees to help with sorting, counting, and verifying signatures.

Minnesota counties all reported that costs are

lower in small precincts that choose to conduct

mail elections. When costs are calculated on a

per voter basis, the saving can be as much as 50

per cent. The following counties provided estimated cost comparisons:

Carlton

(assume 100 registered voters in a precinct)

Precinct election

4 Judges @ $90 $360

Building 51

$410

Mail election

100 @ $1.27 postage $127

Clerical (stuff envelopes, etc.) 25

Supplies 25

$177

Lake of the Woods

(1988 special countywide mail ballot question)

Mail

Election

Actual

Cost

Precinct

Election

Estimated

Cost

Postage $ 632.78 $ 21 .44

Printing 562.49 53.89

Supplies 65.41 65.41

Labor & Training 93.00* 2224.00

Travel 0 236.00

Advertising 171.32 146.26

Total Expenditure $1525.00 $2747.00

1,361 voters @ $1.12** $2.02**

* A significant factor in labor costs was that Auditor Office staff time was absorbed by the office and

not considered for the purposes of this comparison.

** Per vote

Montana counties agree that small districts

find mail elections cheaper than precinct elections, by about 20 per cent; but in larger districts

the total cost of the election may be higher for

mail elections than for precinct elections. Ravalli

County charges 50 cents per ballot for all elections; in addition, polling place elections have 3

or 4 judges who are paid $50-70 each. This county

has conducted a lot of mail elections and believes

there is a break-even point at about 100 voters—

mail is cheaper below, precincts are cheaper above

that number; Lincoln County believes mail elections may be cheaper even up to 1500 voters. Both

agree that the mail ballot is far more economical

if you calculate the cost on a per-vote basis.

Lander County, NV, compared the costs of a

regular election held on July 14, 1992, with an

all-mail-ballot election held on November 16,

1993, and found the costs of the two elections to

be very similar.

29
New Mexico and North Dakota counties find the

cost is a wash between mail and precinct elections.

Some Washington voters believed that mail

elections were a waste of taxpayer money because

they were more expensive that regular elections;

yet Washington counties reported that total costs

are comparable between mail and precinct elections, or a little less for mail elections, but they

point out that the cost per vote is much less in

mail elections.

Cowlitz County provided a breakdown of how

the various election costs offset each other: the

cost of precinct workers and rental of polling

places is offset by postage costs; the costs of supplies for polling places is offset by the costs of

envelopes and mailing supplies; salaries, administrative costs, legal notices, operation of the optical scan, printing, and ballot stock are all the

same for both kinds of election. San Juan County

found similar offsets in costs.

Island County noted that the first mail election may cost 10 per cent more than a precinct

election, but the costs are the same or less in later

mail elections because you get better with familiarity. Use of modern technology can reduce the

cost of mail elections to 10-15 per cent less than

precinct elections. Cost per vote cast makes mail

ballot the clear winner, but this county does not

believe that statistic should be abused to convert

doubters.

Thurston County also found that mail elections

generally cost about 10 per cent less than polling

place elections, but this can vary with the size

and complexity of the election . Cost savings are

more dramatic when comparing the cost per vote.

The increased staffing needed for all but the

smallest elections is offset by the savings from

not hiring pollworkers. In a comparison of costs

of two comparable elections: the 1989 primary

(78,158 eligible, 12.78 per cent turnout) cost

$114,749, or $11 .49 per ballot cast; the 1993

primary cost $132,367, or $5 .46 per ballot cast.

30
TURNOUT AND COST PER VOTER, COLORADO MAIL ELECTIONS

1993

County Number of Electors

Turnout Per Cent

This Election Last Election Cost per Voter

Alamosa 6,175 48 NA $ 2.86

Arapahoe 107 66.7 100 4.00

Boulder 9 45 NA 32.11

Clear Creek 5,750 58 NA 2.00

Douglas 3 100 100 30.10

Douglas 3,909 33.4 6 3.05

Douglas 3 0 NA 83.78

Elbert 6,371 50 NA 9.40

Gilpin 2,105 55 NA 1 .71

Gilpin 114 47 45 10.18

Gunnison 6,575 48.75 NA 3 .04

Jefferson 257,391 88 NA 4.20

La Plata 17,997 50 NA 3.43

Lake 3,375 34 NA 2.86

Logan 9,312 59 NA .67

Moffat 6,553 43 NA .99

Craig (city) 4,561 48 23 3.69

Montezuma 8,745 40 NA 7.03

Morgan 10,147 63 NA 1 .93

Saguache 2,565 46 NA 4.21

Sedgwick 347 44.1 NA 3.58

Yuma 5,142 100 NA .60

Yuma 404 50.1 NA 3.10

31
TURNOUT AND COST PER VOTER, COLORADO MAIL ELECTIONS (CONTINUED)

1994

Entity Number of Ballots Returned

Turnout Per Cent

This Election Last Election Cost per Voter

Metro Dist 9 82 80 $230.12

Fire Dist 38 8.5 5.94

Town l 76 56 .9 58 .6 13.28

Water &Sani 116 8 NA 18.49

Town 438 57 38 5.09

Metro Dist 10 100 100 8 .75

Fire Dist 149 63.9 NA 4.90

Fire Dist 116 21 18 8 .25

Metro Dist 4 80 NA 1,193.71

Metro Dist 51 55 NA 22.78

Fire Dist 187 20 NA 16.90

Water & Sani 64 35 NA 13.06

Metro Dist 167 19 NA 42.57

Metro Dist 14 70 NA 45.48

City 1313 39.6 27 4.31

Fire Dist 13,648 10 .6 6.14

Metro Dist 9 100 100 11 .11

Town l 52 59 20 8.96

School Dist 218 58.5 44.7 8.75

Water Dist 164 60.8 57 7.13

Metro Dist 117 40 38 11 .72

Metro Dist 2 50 100 3,310.69

Metro Dist 5 72 NA 807.33

32
Voter Turnout

The reason for holding elections in a democracy is to determine the will of the electorate, so

it has generally been held that the greater the

degree of participation in elections, the more accurately the results of the election will reflect the

will of the electorate.

The one survey question on which all election

officials who responded, at both the State and

local levels, agreed is that all-mail-ballot elections

increase voter turnout significantly ; it is only a

question of how much turnout increases. However, some political scientists believe that turnout in mail elections will drop after the novelty

wears off. (It seems a bit of an anachronism to

discuss voter turnout when referring to an election in which no one actually "turns out" to go to

a precinct polling place to cast their vote, but

turnout is a useful shorthand term for voter participation.) The turnout still depends, as does the

turnout in traditional polling place elections, on

the interest in the issues or candidates that are

on the ballot; but the increase over comparable

polling place elections is striking, as illustrated

by the following specific comparisons cited by

respondents.

Stanislaus County, CA, reported that its turnout in the last ten years was generally 6-8 per

cent lower than the statewide average ; but its

turnout for the 1993 statewide special election,

conducted by all-mail ballot, was 6.8 per cent

higher than the statewide average. They reported an even greater difference in small districts. A city that had a voter turnout as low as

12 per cent for special elections for polling place

elections had an all-mail-ballot return that was

44-45 per cent higher.

Collier County, FL, compared the voter turnout in a March 7, 1989, annexation election conducted by all-mail-ballot to the turnout in a number of earlier elections conducted at the polls.

They also compared the turnout in six precincts

(ranging from 747 to 1382 registered voters) between two special elections, a June 25, 1985, tax

levy for parks and a July 25, 1993, incorporation

vote. The 1985 election was held at the polls;

44.75 per cent of 4,518 registered voters participated. The 1993 election was held by mail ; 82.75

per cent of the registered voters participated.

The City of Apopka (Orange County), FL, estimated that its usual turnout of 10-12 percent

increased to 26 percent in an all-mail-ballot election. The State of Florida reported that special

elections usually have a turnout of 11 percent at

the polls; all-mail-ballot elections range from a

low of 40 percent to a high of 75-80 per cent. They

explain that the range of turnout for all-mailballot elections depends in part on four factors:

1) whether the district involved sends an election notice to each voter household about the upcoming election; 2) the amount of educational

material the district provides to eligible voters;

3) the time of year when the election is held (more

of their citizens are there in the winter) ; and 4)

33
COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA

Turnout

Type of Election Date City Annexed Areas

Mail

Annexation 3-7-89 65.8 78.3

Polls

City 2-2-88 57.1 NA

City 2-2-86 57.1 NA

City 2-4-84 50.6 NA

Pres . Pref. Prim. 3-8-88 64.4 60.8

First Primary 9-6-88 47.2 40.9

Runoff 10-4-88 26.2 23.5

General (Pres .) 11-8-88 89.7 88.8

General 11-6-86 72.4 70.0

General (Pres .) 11-4-84 80.6 79.4

34
the perceived financial impact of the issue on the

voter if the measure is passed.

Sedgwick County, KS, reported that local polling place elections traditionally had turnouts of

0-30 per cent; similar elections conducted by allmail ballot had turnouts ranging from 64 per cent

to 78 per cent.

Minnesota provided turnout statistics for the

1994 primary election : statewide turnout was 27

percent; in those counties that had at least one

precinct voting by mail, turnout was approximately 28 per cent in the polling place precincts

and approximately 34 per cent in those precincts

that voted by mail.

Fergus County, MT, found that polling place

elections on issues that had turnouts of 8-18 per

cent went to 54-93 per cent with all-mail-ballot

elections. They noted that the 54 per cent turnout was in a small town with no candidates running and none wanting to run, but was still a

vast improvement over the previous 8 per cent.

They also remarked that the 93 per cent turnout

was unheard of before . Ravalli County, MT, reported that polling place election turnout could

be as low as 1 per cent, but the lowest turnout

they have had for an all-mail-ballot election is

38 per cent.

Douglas County, NE, reported that their voter

turnout has increased from 7 per cent for polling

place elections to 21 per cent for all-mail-ballot

elections.

Lander County, NV, has seen turnout increase

from about 30 per cent for special elections conducted at polling places to 59 per cent when conducted by mail.

Washington reported that, without exception,

the all-mail-ballot jurisdictions significantly increased their voter turnout. This was true both

when entire jurisdictions voted by mail and when

only specific precincts were designated as voteby-mail precincts. The turnout in the 1994 primary elections averaged 32 per cent in counties

that voted at polling places and averaged 52 per

cent in the all-mail-ballot counties. Normal turnout in Island County in even-numbered-year primaries is 38 per cent; in the 1994 all-mail-ballot

primary, turnout was 56 per cent .

35
COMPARATIVE VOTER TURNOUT IN THURSTON COUNTY, WA,

SELECTED POLLING PLACE AND MAIL ELECTIONS, 1981—1994

Election Polling Place Mail Ballot

1980 Primary 58A1%

1981 Primary 12.53

1984 Primary 50.04

1985 Primary 15.70

1987 Special 52.96%

1988 Primary 48.90

1989 Primary 12.78

1990 Primary 38.96

1991 Special 49.65

1993 Special 58.18

1993 Primary 33 .38

1994 Primary 51 .11

36
COMPARATIVE VOTER TURNOUT, WASHINGTON STATE PRIMARY,

POLLING PLACE AND MAIL ELECTION COUNTIES, 1990 AND 1994

Polling Places, 1990 Mail Ballots, 1994

County

Registered

Voters

Percentage

Turnout

Registered

Voters

Percentage

Turnout

Cowlitz 33,930 27.77 45,560 52.37

Douglas 11,151 46.58 14,420 55.12

Ferry 2,513 53.00 3,440 68.17

Island 25,100 39.46 33,760 56.32

San Juan 6,977 52.53 8,451 56.34

Thurston 78,799 38.96 103,808 51 .11

Wahkiakum 1,927 65 .28 2,226 71 .79

SUBTOTALS 160,397 38.33 211,665 53.19

Rest of State 2,024,208 30 .11 2,638,088 33.00

Statewide 2,184,605 30 .71 2,849,753 34.50

37

All the State respondents expressed the belief

that all-mail-ballot procedures are at least as

fraud-free as polling-place and absentee ballot

procedures. They emphasize several aspects of

mail balloting that protect the integrity and secrecy of the mail ballot.

n Some States require that all local jurisdictions

conducting an all-mail-ballot election must

submit their plans to the State election officer

for approval and review to assure compliance

with State statutes and administrative guidelines. (One local official commented that, having conducted. over 100 all-mail-ballot elections,

she is very tired of having to submit a plan for

approval each time.) Some States also monitor mail elections to assure that they are conducted as outlined in the plan.

n The signature verification for mail ballots is

more rigorous than it is at polling places, even

in those States that require pollworkers to compare the signature of each voter to an original

or digitized signature from the voter registration form; the signature comparison at the polls

may be lax, but it is rigidly monitored with mail

ballots.

n The secrecy of the ballot is ensured by careful

training and supervision of election workers to

ensure that no one examines a voted ballot as it

is removed from the identification envelope .

Effect on the

Integrity of the

Election Process

n Because mail ballots are sent to the registration address by nonforwardable address, election officials are assured that only bona fide

residents of the jurisdiction will receive ballots. Those who have moved to a different address and have not notified election officials of

their change of address will not receive ballots. (At a precinct election, they sometimes

voted from their old address and mentioned

that they had moved only after depositing

their voted, unidentifiable ballot.)

Some political scientists have expressed concern that doing away with precinct voting removes an important ritual of democracy that ties

voters together as participants in a common act

of governance.

Undue influence

The concern is sometimes expressed that the

mailing of all ballots increases the opportunity

for unscrupulous persons to bribe or intimidate

voters because the protections of the polling place

cannot be provided at each individual home . This

is a legitimate concern because those protections

are exactly the reason that polling places are established and are so carefully regulated . At a

polling place, the voter is assured a place to mark

the ballot uninfluenced, in secret ; and the ballot,

once cast, is unidentifiable .

39
There have been instances of undue influence

on absentee voters, when persons have secured

the list of absentee ballot applicants, then gone

to those applicants' homes and offered to "help"

they vote. With all eligible voters in a jurisdiction receiving a ballot in the mail, there is the

fear that people will go door to door and "help"

large numbers of voters, especially the elderly and

the less well educated ; that family members will

be intimidated when the whole family sits around

the kitchen table to mark their ballots ; that social groups will urge their members to bring their

ballots to a meeting and mark them in the group.

The response of some election officials to this

concern is to point out that the sheer numbers of

mailed ballots makes such an effort unrewarding. In fact, they say, the high turnout in all-mailballot elections will dilute any such efforts much

more than in low-turnout regular precinct elections, when the absentee voters may have a much

greater influence on the outcome.

The only court case reported on the subject of

ballot integrity was in Kansas. The Sedgwick

County Commissioner of Elections was sued over

the purported lack of secrecy in a countywide mail

election. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled, in

Sawyer v. Chapman (240 KS 409), that "the compelling state interest in increased voter participation outweighs the added potential for fraud

and loss of secrecy presented by mail ballot elections." Three voters were charged in this same

election for attempting to submit more than one

ballot.

Nursing Homes

The concern about undue influence on voters

in all-mail-ballot elections points up the specific

issue of voters in nursing homes or other care

facilities where residents may be particularly vulnerable to influence or intimidation . It is not

unheard of for a director or activities director to

help all the residents who are registered to vote

in the facility to apply for absentee ballots. This

person may "suggest " they vote a certain way, or

40

may even mark the ballots for them . In an allmail-ballot election, all registered residents

would be mailed a ballot, and they could all be

"helped".

Some jurisdictions are either unaware of this

potential problem or have no statutory or administrative provisions that address it. But some have

addressed this concern, both for absentee ballots

in regular elections and for all-mail-ballot elections.

Some give residents of care facilities copies of the

law forbidding undue influence.

A number of jurisdictions have an excellent

procedure that seems to protect these vulnerable

voters very well. Whenever they have a request

for absentee ballots or an all-mail-ballot election,

they send two election judges of different parties

to deliver the ballots, assist the voters, and return the voted ballots for all voters in care facilities. These judges, who are usually either election office staff members or experienced precinct

pollworkers, are carefully trained to avoid influencing the voter or revealing how anyone voted.

This appears to be the best method yet devised

for preventing an over-zealous person from garnering a large number of votes for or against a

candidate or issue .
Several questions in the questionnaire asked

about the effects of all-mail-ballot elections on

campaigns. No one reported any information on

the effects of all-mail-ballot elections on the costs

of campaigns, either issue or candidate campaigns. Most respondents had noticed no effect

of any kind on campaigns, often commenting that

they had too few all-mail-ballot elections or that

the procedure was too new to judge yet . Several

also pointed out that issue-only elections generally do not draw the kind of major campaigning

associated with partisan candidate elections.

Those local jurisdictions that had noted differences had some perceptive comments to make.

They pointed out that campaigns normally obtain lists of voters who request absentee ballots,

so they can send them campaign literature. In

an all-mail-ballot election, the campaign printing and postage costs are increased, because they

mail to all voters. They also commented that campaigns must get organized earlier and be prepared to present their arguments before the ballots are mailed, because as many as one-fourth

of the voted ballots are returned in the first week.

Very few States allow voters to re-vote (retract a

voted ballot, then vote a new ballot), and even in

those States few voters realize they can do so and

even fewer do it. This means that last-minute

campaign developments or write-in candidates

are hindered in their ability to get votes. Mail

elections may also make it more difficult to schedule candidate or issue forums; these are usually

held during the month before election day, but

Effects on

Campaigns

mail elections present the problem of holding

them more than a month before election day to

reach all voters before they receive ballots or holding them closer to election day and taking the

chance of missing the early voters.

Some levy campaigns dislike mail ballot elections; some people feel they favor incumbents

because of their better name recognition ; some

campaigns do not like them because they reduce

the ability to control who will vote in the election. Some say there is less time to campaign

because the ballots are being voted earlier, but

others say the campaign is longer because the

critical voting period lasts two to three weeks

instead of one day. But most local election officials felt that campaigns that disliked the idea of

all-mail-ballot elections before the election became more neutral after going through one . It

was mostly a matter of their knowing the timing

of mailings and when voted ballots were returned.

For example, Stanislaus County, CA, election officials were in frequent contact with candidates

and campaigns, notifying them of the dates when

certain areas of the county would receive ballots

so the campaigns could gear their mailings to specific voters in certain areas of the county around

those dates.

Florida (ballot issues only) State officials reinforced the comment that all-mail-ballot elections

force opponents and proponents to crystallize

their planning and campaign strategy earlier. The

campaigns need to coordinate their mailings to

41
eligible voters with the initial all-mail-ballot

mailing. Florida election officials believe that this

results in the facts about the issue being made

available earlier, with less negative or false information or innuendo circulating, and with less

last-minute effort to sabotage the election process. They add that there does not seem to be so

much roadside clutter of campaign signs as in

precinct elections; opponents and proponents target eligible voters with direct mail and can (if

they like) eliminate costly newspaper, radio, and

television advertising, because such advertising

has no regard for district or county boundaries.

Washington (issues and candidates) also commented that campaigns in all-mail-ballot counties indicated that they had a tighter time-frame

in which to get their message out. Some candidates felt that all-mail-ballot elections gave incumbents an advantage by limiting the time for

challengers to campaign and gain name recognition, though there is no data to substantiate that

feeling. The time between Washington's September primary election and the November general

election is already very limiting ; in those instances where all-mail balloting is used in the

general election, that time is further reduced so

campaign time is very limited.

42
No election official had noticed any selective

effect of all-mail-ballot elections on any ideological, ethnic, or economic group. Most election officials do not believe that all-mail balloting causes

the outcome of the election to differ from the outcome of a traditional precinct election, but a few

do note some possible differences.

No one reported organized opposition to allmail-ballot elections as a concept, but Colorado

mentioned opposition by various groups that tried

to block an all-mail-ballot election on the grounds

that it was more expensive than a polling place

election. Florida noted that groups who tend to

believe that low voter turnout would benefit their

particular stance on an issue seem to be those

who prefer not to have all-mail-ballot elections.

Lake of the Woods County, MN, has conducted

several surveys of voters to assess their satisfaction with mail ballot elections; 81 per cent of the

returned surveys favored mail voting over precinct elections. Renville County, ND, polled 50

voters, receiving 31 responses, 26 of them positive. The reasons they gave for preferring mail elections included: more time to read and study the

ballot, more relaxing method of voting; no driving

— saves the environment, saves time; savings to

the county; allows another option of voting method;

simple, easy to understand voting method.

It has been pointed out that a high turnout

reveals the true will of the majority. If an issue

fails with a 10-20 per cent turnout, the temptation is to try, try again . However, a 70-80 per cent

Effect on the

Outcome of

Elections

turnout, pass or fail, indicates a clear decision by

the voters. Although the increased voter turnout

in all-mail-ballot elections provides better validation of the election results, some school districts in Washington have indicated that they believe it is more difficult for their measures to pass

in elections conducted entirely by mail; there is

no analysis to prove or disprove this contention,

but the number of tax measures that fail appears

to have increased in those jurisdictions where the

elections have been conducted by mail. On the

other hand, Stanislaus County, CA, has conducted six separate school bond issues by mail;

four of them were approved, two were not.

Sedgwick County, KS, reported that three-fourths

of their tax or bond issues that had been submitted by mail ballot elections had been approved.

Otero County, NM, said that all their fire excise

taxes that have been submitted by mail ballot

had been successful. Missouri (issues and nonpartisan candidates) noted that some ballot questions

proposed in all-mail-ballot elections were later

placed on the ballot in traditional precinct elections

because they did not pass on mail ballots.

No specific differences in the outcome of contests for elective office have been identified when

elections are conducted by mail.

Florida believes that younger voters may be

more apt to participate in special elections that

are held by mail than they are to vote in precinct

elections, although this is not clear because allmail-ballot elections improve voter participation

43
for all groups, reflecting the common experience

that older voters are more likely to register to

vote, to remain registered, and to vote. Chaves

County, NM, felt that older voters used it more;

Fergus County, MT, also noted that mail ballots

made voting easier for older or disabled voters.

Collier County, FL, was able to provide some

uniquely detailed breakdowns of turnout. Such

analyses are difficult to obtain, and these may have

only limited value for generalizing, but they offer

interesting anecdotal results. One such breakdown

compared turnout between two mail elections, in

one of which to return postage was paid by the voter

and in the other the return postage was paid by

the city. Both included 19 precincts whose voter

registrations ranged from 96 to 1463.

COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA

Mail Ballot Return Registered Per cent

Voters Turnout

Postage paid by VOTER 11,737 65.8

(3-7-89)

Postage paid by CITY 13,360 67.9

(10-5-93)

Another chart provided an interesting breakdown

of the first primary, September 8, 1994, in selected

Marco Island precincts.

SELECTED

MARCO ISLANDS

PRECINCTS

Category % Turnout

Male 38.8

Female 34.4

Democrat 22.2

Republican 43.8

Ages 18-24 15.6

Ages 25-44 23.8

Ages 45-64 34.3

Ages 65+ 43.6

Total 36.5

Stanislaus County, CA, pays return postage on

voted ballots to assure that there is no concern

that lower income voters will be discouraged from

voting.

44
There is near unanimous agreement among

State and local election officials that by far the biggest benefit of all-mail-ballot elections is greater

voter participation. The second most frequently

mentioned benefits are greater administrative ease

and better security over election procedures.

Increased voter turnout is addressed separately in

this report, in the chapter entitled Effect on

Turnout, but some of the specific administration

advantages merit further mention here.

One local jurisdiction after another lists, almost gleefully, the problems that all-mail-ballot

elections avoid. No pollworkers includes: no recruitment; no notices to be sent; no classes to conduct; no distribution and retrieval of election day

supplies; no last-minute cancellations from workers who had agreed to serve ; no paychecks to cut

and mail; no W-2's to send ; no pre-dawn electionday hours to line up replacement workers. No

polling places includes no polling place leases,

telephones, utilities; no searching for or preparation of accessible locations; no frantic phone

calls about locked doors; no preparation, set-up,

tear-down, or emergency repairs of voting machines or devices; no confusion about where

people must go to vote.

The elections office can maintain tight security

and accountability during every step in the process so records are complete and accurate. Most

officials report that preplanning enables them

to spread out the work so there is less overtime

required, there is less stress, and the staff is not

Benefits of

All-Mail-Ballot

Elections

exhausted by election night. In most States, all

ballots are mailed at once, including absentees,

which is much more efficient than mailing absentee ballots as requests are received. Voting

history is noted as ballots are returned, lessening

the amount of post-election work . Signatures are

compared and ballots prepared for processing ahead

of time, so the election night count can be completed

much earlier. If an error does occur (for example, a

voter is sent the wrong ballot), the election office

can correct the error and document the procedure.

Nonforwardable ballots that are returned to

the election office as undeliverable alert officials

to check the registrations of those persons. Several local officials reported that mailing ballots

to all registered voters within a jurisdiction enabled them to clean their registration rolls of

significant numbers of ineligible voters.

Officials note that mailed ballots are more convenient for many voters, who can mark their ballots at their convenience over a period of several

days or weeks instead of being required to show

up in person during specific hours on a specific

day or to submit a written request for an absentee ballot. Some officials pointed out that voters

have time to study the issues after receiving their

ballots, which encourages them to attend forums

and ask questions.

Some mentioned cost savings, especially when

figured on a per ballot basis. See the chapter on

Costs for more detail .

45

There is no such unanimity about problems

as there is about benefits of all-mail-ballot elections, but most of the problems reported are not

considered overwhelming by the respondents.

Several jurisdictions report that they have made

minor modifications in their procedures as they

gained more experience with all-mail-ballot elections. There seems to be some sense that smaller

mail elections present far fewer problems than

do those conducted in a jurisdiction of thousands

of voters. The sheer volume of ballots to be processed in a short time requires some very detailed

planning.

A few jurisdictions noted some reluctance by a

small minority of voters to accept the mail balloting procedure . They believe it is crucially important to explain and publicize the process so

voters will be comfortable with it. The main

causes of this voter discomfort are concerns about

potential fraud and about possible loss of the secrecy of the ballot. These concerns are discussed

in the chapter on Integrity ofAll-Mail-Ballot Elections in this report. Voters may be particularly

suspicious of mail ballots in jurisdictions that

rotate candidate names, because the order in

which the candidate names appear differs from

ballot to ballot; voters who compare their ballots

and who do not understand the rotation procedures may suspect some nefarious plot . Some

voters who vote and return their ballots quickly

may be unhappy when subsequent events in the

campaign or the entry of a write-in candidate

Problems of

All-Mail-Ballot

Elections

causes them to want to change their vote ; in most

States they are not allowed to do so.

Some jurisdictions have sent surveys with the

mail ballots, asking voters for their comments on

the process. The comments have generally been

at least 85 per cent favorable, but some people

just prefer to go to a polling place. Alpine County,

CA, received responses from 63 per cent of its

voters; 86 per cent of the respondents supported

mail elections; 13 opposed them; and 1 per cent

either did not mark their post cards, voted both

yes and no, or indicated they did not care . When

Minnesota conducted its first three local mail

elections in 1987-88, each voter also received a

survey card, to be filled out and returned to the

Secretary of State.

From the results of the voter surveys, a majority of those responding indicated that voting

by mail was convenient and that the procedures

used to conduct the elections were acceptable . A

common complaint was that the voters were not

supplied with adequate information on the issues

relating to the ballot questions. In future mail

elections, Minnesota suggested that it might be

advisable to require that an informational brochure be sent with the ballots to each voter. They

also concluded that the process could be improved

by simplifying the instructions to the voters, perhaps by more clearly identifying the steps

required to complete the ballot return envelope

correctly.

47
MINNESOTA VOTER SURVEY RESULTS FROM MAIL ELECTIONS

City of City of Lake of the

Luverne Glenwood Woods County

9-1-87 5-24-88 6-13-88

1481 397 780

660 214 361

45% 54% 46%

Y 466 (71%) Y 169 (79%) Y 254 (70%)

N 175 (27%) N 45 (21%) N 105 (29%)

Y 472 (72%) Y 129 (60%) Y 282 (78%)

N 172 (26%) N 84 (39%) N 79 (22%)

Y 59 (9%) Y 23 (11%) Y 24 (7%)

N 575 (87%) N 184 (86%) N 332 (92%)

505 (77%) 168 (79%) 323 (90%)

89 (14%) 33(15%) 25 (7%)

14 (2%) 4(2%) 3 (1%)

Y 330 (50%) Y 102 (48%) Y 233 (64%)

N 304 (46%) N 110 (51%) N 125 (35%)

Y 401 (61%) Y 102 (48%) Y 282 (81%)

N 246 (37%) N 105 (49%) N 65 (18%)

Number of persons voting in the election

Number of persons returning survey cards

Would you have voted in this

election if you had to go to the polls?

Did you find voting by mail convenient?

Did you have difficulty finding a witness?

Was the time allowed for return of ballots:

about right?

too long?

too short?

Would you have been willing

to put on your own return stamp?

Now that you've tried it, do you favor

using mail voting for this type of election?

There is a period of time in most jurisdictions

when the mail ballots have already been sent to

the registration address of each voter, but voters

may still request that an absentee ballot be sent

to a different address from that in the voter registration file. This presents complications for the

election office, for they must have checks in place

to be sure that both ballots are not voted and

counted. All-mail-ballot elections have some negative effect on part-time residents who are out of

town and have not requested absentee ballots.

48

Jurisdictions that conduct all-mail-ballot elections that are restricted to property owners find it

difficult, time-consuming, and frustrating to track

down the names and addresses of those property

owners (who may or may not be registered voters

in that jurisdiction) through property titles.

States that have a witness requirement for

absentee ballots find mail ballots are not as convenient for voters as they could be ; this requirement can result in greater numbers of invalid
ballots. New Mexico required that signatures on

mail ballots be notarized when the first mail elections were held, creating a hardship for some

voters, especially in rural areas, and creating a

major burden on bank notaries; that statutory

requirement has since been dropped.

Several local jurisdictions comment that stuff-

ing envelopes, labelling, mailing, receiving, and

processing ballots is very time-consuming. This

is particularly true in larger jurisdictions and in

those jurisdictions that do not use digitized signatures for comparison to the signatures on ballot envelopes. Jurisdictions that rotate the names

of candidates on the ballots are particularly vulnerable to errors. There is often a big surge of returned ballots the last two days before election day,

making it very difficult or even impossible to get

them all processed in time to be counted on election night. It is difficult to predict needed staffing

levels the first few times a jurisdiction conducts an

all-mail-ballot election. If staffing levels are inadequate and manual processing is used, staff can be

under great stress and election results may be delayed. Delayed results make voters, candidates, and

the media very unhappy.

Some small jurisdictions have found that their

local post offices do not postmark mail received after the close of business. In those States where a

ballot postmarked by election day may be counted

even though received after election day, this means

that people may have dropped a ballot at the post

office before the polls closed, but it is not postmarked until the next day and so cannot be counted .

49

Appendix 1

Statutes and Rules

Item 1. Colorado statute

Item 2. Colorado rules

Item 3. Kansas statute

Item 4. Montana statute

Item 5. Washington statute
Item 1

ARTICLE 7 .5

Mail Ballot Elections

1-7 .5-101 . Short title.

1-7 .5-102 . Legislative declaration.

1-7 .5-103 . Definitions.

1-7 .5-104 . Mail ballot elections - optional.

1-7 .5-105 . Preelection process.

1-7 .5-106 . Secretary of state - duties and powers.

1-7 .5-107 . Procedures for conducting mail ballot

election.

1-7 .5-108 . Absentee mail ballots.

1-7 .5-109 . Write-in candidates.

1-7 .5-110 . Challenges.

1-7 .5-111 . Report to the general assembly.

1-7 .5-112 . Repeal of article . (Repealed)

1-7.5-101 . Short title . This article shall be known and

may be cited as the 'Mail Ballot Election Act'.

1-7.5-102 . Legislative declaration . The general assembly

hereby finds, determines, and declares that self-government by

election is more legitimate and better accepted as voter

participation increases . The general assembly further finds,

determines, and declares that mail ballot elections are

cost-efficient and have not resulted in increased fraud . By

enacting this article, the general assembly hereby concludes

that it 1s appropriate to provide for mail ballot elections

under specified circumstances.

1-7.5-103. Definitions. As used in this article, unless

the context otherwise requires:

(1) 'Designated election official" means official as

defined in section 1-1-104 (8).

(2) 'Election' means any election under the 'Uniform

Election Code of 1992" or the "Colorado Municipal Election

Code of 1965', article 10 of title 31, C .R.S.

(3) 'Election day" means the date either established by

law or determined by the governing body of the political

subdivision conducting the election, to be the final day on

which all ballots are determined to be due, and the date from

which all other dates in this article are set.

(4) 'Mail ballot election" means an election for which

eligible electors may cast ballots by mail and in accordance

with this article in an election that involves only

nonpartisan candidates or ballot questions or ballot issues.

(5) "Mail ballot packet" means the packet of information
provided by the designated election official to eligible

electors in the mail ballot election . The packet includes the

ballot, instructions for completing the ballot, a secrecy

envelope, and a return verification envelope.

(6) 'Political subdivision" means a governing

subdivision of the state, including counties, municipalities,

school districts, and special districts.

(7) 'Return verification envelope" means an envelope

that contains the name, address, and birth date of an eligible

elector voting in a mail ballot election, that contains a

secrecy envelope and ballot for the elector, and that is

designed to allow election officials, upon examining the

signature, name, address, and birth date that appear on the

outside of the envelope, to determine whether the enclosed

ballot is being submitted by an eligible elector who has not

previously voted in that particular election.

(8) 'Secrecy envelope' means the envelope used for a

mail ballot election that contains the eligible elector's

ballot for the election, and that is designed to conceal and

maintain the confidentiality of the elector's vote until the

counting of votes for that particular election.

1-7 .5-104 . Mail ballot elections - optional : (1) If the

governing o~ard of any political subdivision determines that

an election shall be by mail ballot, the designated election

official for the political subdivision shall conduct any

election for the political subdivision by mail ballot under

the supervision of the secretary of state and shall be subject

to rules which shall be promulgated by the secretary of state.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1) of

this section, a mail ballot election shall not be held for:

(a) Elections or recall elections that involve partisan

candidates;

(b) Elections held in conjunction with, or on the same

day as, a primary or congressional vacancy election.

(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the

contrary concerning the type of election to be held,

elections .. . by mail ballot shall be conducted as provided in

this article.

1-7.5-i9 Preelection process . (1) The designated

election official responsible for conducting an election that

is to be by mail ballot pursuant to section 1-7 .5-104 (1)

shall notify the secretary of state no later than sixty days

prior to the election . The notification shall include a

2-
proposed plan for conducting the mail ballot election, which

may be based on the standard plan adopted by the secretary of

state .

(2) The secretary of state shall approve or disapprove

the written plan for conducting a mail ballot election, in

accordance with section 1-7 .5-106, within fifteen days after

receiving the plan and shall provide a written notice to the

affected political subdivision.

(3) The designated election official shall supervise the

distributing, handling, counting of ballots, and the survey of

returns in accordance with rules promulgated by the secretary

of state as provided in section 1-7 .5-106 (2) and shall take

the necessary steps to protect the confidentiality of the

ballots cast and the integrity of the election.

(4) No elector information shall be delivered in the

form of a sample ballot.

1-7.5-106. Secretary of state - duties and powers.

(1) In addi€Ton to any other duties prescribed by law, the

secretary of state, with advice from election officials of the

several political subdivisions, shall:

(a) Prescribe the form of materials to be used in the

conduct of mail ballot elections ; except that all mail ballot

packets shall include a ballot, instructions for completing

the' ballot, a secrecy envelope, and a verification return

envelope;

(b) Establish procedures for conducting mail ballot

elections ; except that the procedures shall be consistent with

section 1-7 .5-107;

(c) Supervise the conduct of nail ballot elections by

the election officials as provided in section 1-7 .5-105 (3).

(2) In addition to other powers prescribed by law, the

secretary of state may adopt rules governing procedures and

forms 'necessary to implement this article and may appoint any

county clerk and recorder as an agent of the secretary to

carry out the duties prescribed in this article.

1-7.5407. Procedures for conducting mail ballot

election. 'J Official ballots shall be prepared and all

other preelection procedures followed as otherwise provided by

law or rules promulgated by the secretary of state ; except

that mail ballot packets shall be prepared in accordance with

this article.

(2) (a) Except for coordinated elections conducted as a

3
nail ballot election where the county clerk and recorder is

the coordinated election official, no later than thirty days

prior to election day, the county clerk and recorder shall

submit to the designated election official of the political

subdivision conducting the mail ballot election a full and

complete preliminary list of registered electors . For special

district mail ballot elections, the county clerk and recorder

and county assessor of each county in which a special district

is located shall certify and submit to the designated election

official a list of property owners and a list of registered

electors residing within the affected district.

(b) No later than twenty days prior to election day, the

county clerk and recorder required to submit a preliminary

list in accordance with paragraph (a) of this subsection (2)

shall submit to the appropriate authority a supplemental list

of the names of eligible electors whose names were not

included on the preliminary list.

(3) (a) Not sooner than twenty-five days before an

election, and no later than fifteen days before an election,

the designated election official shall mail to each eligible

elector, at the last address appearing in the registration

records, a mall ballot packet, which shall be marked `DO NOT

FORWARD . ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED`, or any other similar

statement which is in accordance with United States postal

service regulations ; except that with prior approval from the

secretary of state, the packets shall be sent no later than

ten days before election day.

(b) The ballot or ballot label shall contain the

following warning :

`WARNING:

Any person who, by use of force or other means, unduly

influences an eligible elector to vote in any particular

manner or to refrain from voting, or who falsely makes,

alters, forges, or counterfeits any mail ballot before or

after it has been cast, or who destroys, defaces, mutilates,

or tampers with a ballot is subject, upon conviction, to

imprisonment, or to a fine, or both ."

(c) No sooner than twenty-five days prior to election

day, nor,later than 7 p .m . on election day, mail ballots shall

be made 'available at the designated election official's

office, or the office designated in the mail ballot plan filed

with the secretary of state, for eligible electors who are not

listed on the county voter registration records or, for

special district mail ballot elections, on the list of

property owners or the registration list but who are

authorized to vote pursuant to section 32-1-806, C .R .S ., or

Lt
other applicable law.

(d) (I) An eligible elector may obtain a replacement

ballot if the ballot was destroyed, spoiled, lost, or for some

other reason not received by the eligible elector . In order

to obtain a replacement ballot, the eligible elector must sign

a sworn statement specifying the reason for requesting the

replacement ballot . The statement shall be presented to the

designated election official no later than 7 p .m . on election

day . The designated election official shall keep a record of

each replacement ballot issued in accordance with this section

together with a list of each ballot obtained pursuant to

paragraph (c) of this subsection (3).

(II) A designated election official shall not transmit a

mail ballot package under this section unless the application

for the replacement ballot is received on or before election

day. A replacement ballot may be transmitted directly to the

applicant at the designated election official's office or the

office designated in the mail ballot plan filed with the

secretary of state or may be mailed to the eligible elector at

the address provided in the application . Replacement ballots

may be cast no later than 7 p .m . on election day.

(4) (a) Upon receipt of a ballot, the eligible elector

shall mark the ballot, sign and complete the

return-verification envelope, and comply with the instructions

provided with the ballot.

(b) The eligible elector may return the marked ballot to

the designated election official by United States .mail or by

depositing the. . ballot at the office of the Official or any

place designated by the official . The ballot must be returned

in the return-verification envelope . If an eligible elector

returns the ballot by mail, the elector must provide postage.

The ballot shall be received at the office of the designated

election official or a designated depository, which shall

remain open until 7 p .m. on election day.

(5) Once the ballot is returned, a designated election

official shall first qualify the submitted ballot by examining

the return-verification envelope and comparing the information

on the envelope to the registration records to determine

whether the ballot was submitted by an eligible elector who

has not previously voted in the election . If the ballot so

qualifies and is otherwise valid, the official shall enter the

name of the eligible elector in the poll book, open the

return-verification envelope, remove the ballot stub, and

deposit the ballot in an official ballot box.

(6) All deposited ballots shall be counted as provided

in this article and by rules promulgated by the secretary of

5
state . A mail ballot shall be valid and counted only if it is

returned in the return-verification envelope, the affidavit

on the envelope is signed and completed by the eligible

elector to whom the ballot was issued, and the information on

the envelope is verified in accordance with subsection (5) of

this section . Mail ballots shall be counted in the same manner

provided by section 1-7-307 for counting paper ballots or

section 1-7-507 for counting electronic ballots . If the

election official determines that an eligible elector to whom

a replacement ballot has been issued has voted more than once,

the official shall not count any ballot cast by the elector.

Rejected ballots shall be handled in the same manner as

provided in section 1-8-128.

1-7 .5-108 . Absentee mail ballots . Provisions for the

allowance oTand procedures for absentee ballots shall be

determined by rules promulgated by the secretary of state.

1-7.5-109 . Write-in candidates . Write-in candidates

shall be a~ed on mail ballot elections provided that the

candidate has filed an affidavit of intent with the designated

election official pursuant to section 1-4-1101 . Ballots for

write-in candidates are to be counted pursuant to section

1-7-114.

1-7 .5-110. Challenges. Votes cast pursuant to this

article maybechallenged pursuant to and in accordance with

law. Any mail ballot election held pursuant to this article

shall not be invalidated on the grounds that an eligible

elector did not receive a ballot so long as the designated

election official for the political subdivision conducting the

election acted in good faith in complying with the provisions

of this article or with rules promulgated by the secretary of

state.

1-7.5-111 . Report to the general assembly . The secretary

of state sH8TT"collect and analyze information concerning the

implementation 'of this article and shall submit a report to

the general assembly based on its findings no later than

January 1, 1993. Election officials shall provide the

secretary of state with such relevant information as the

secretary of state requests.

1-7.5-112 . Repeal of article . (Repealed)

July 1994
Item 2

Rules concerning Mail Ballot Elections

10 . Mail ballot rules.

10 .1 Authorization of elections by mail.

10 .1 .1 Scope of the rules . 1-7 .5-106

10 .1 .1 .1 The secretary of state, with

the advice of election officials of the

several political subdivisions, has the

authority to prescribe the form of materials

to be used and to establish procedures for

the conducting and supervising of mail ballot

elections.

10 .1 .1 .2 The secretary of state also has

the authority to adopt rules governing

procedures and forms necessary to . implement

mail ballot elections.

10 .1 .2 Types of elections . 1-7 .5-104

10 .1 .2 .1 The governing board of a

political subdivision may choose to conduct

elections by mail unless the elections or

recall elections involve partisan candidate

or are held in conjunction with or on the

same day as a primary, or congressional

vacancy election, subject to the constraints

of Rule 5 .2.

10 .1 .2 .2 If a governing board chooses to

hold an election by mail ballot, that

decision should be reflected in the minutes

1
of the meeting or in the resolution

authorizing the election.

10 .1 .3 Definitions . 1-7 .5-103

10 .1 .3 .1 Secrecy envelopes a secrecy

envelope shall include a paper ballot which

is folded so that the elector's vote is

concealed when the ballot is removed from the

return verification envelope.

10.1 .4 A separate mail ballot plan is not

required from a political subdivision where a

county clerk and recorder submits a mail

ballot plan for a coordinated election which

includes the political subdivision.

10 .2 Election judges.

10 .2 .1 The designated election official for

the election may appoint one or more judges

to receive the ballots after they are mailed.

10 .2 .2 The designated election official for

the election may appoint one or more judges

to handle "walk in" balloting and absentee

ballots at the sites designated for "walk in"

balloting.

10 .2 .3 The designated election official for

the election may appoint two or more judges

to check registrations, count the ballots and

certify results.

10 .2 .4 The political subdivisions shall

appoint as many judges as required to receive

and count the ballots, however no more than

three judges per precinct may be appointed.

10 .3 Notice of elections.

10 .3 .1 Call and notice.

10 .3 .1 .1 The political subdivision which 1-7 .5-105

chooses to cogduct mail ballot elections must

give notice of the election to the secretary

of state no later than 75 days prior to the

date of the election . This notice will become

part of the plan for conducting the election

which is filed with the secretary of state.

10 .3 .1 .2 Notice of the election is to

Z.
be given to the electorate according to

statute governing that election.

10 .3 .1 .3 Notice of the election is to

be sent to the clerk and recorder of the

county in which the election is to be held.

The notice is to include the date by which

the list of registered electors is to be

submitted to the political subdivision.

10 .3 .1 .4 For multi-county political

subdivisions, the notice sent to each clerk

and recorder shall also include the names of

all other counties in which the election will

be held.

10 .3 .1.5 For elections where property

owners are part of the electorate, notice of

the election is to be given to the county

assessor of the county in which the election

is to be held. Notice is to include the

dates by which the list of property owners is

to be submitted to the political subdivision.

10 .3 .1 .6 If the political subdivision is

required to give notice by mail and the

ballots and election information can be

mailed at the same time and meet the

statutory notice requirements, the mailing of

the ballots and election information will

constitute notice.

10 .3 .1 .7 Political subdivisions with

overlapping boundaries or the same electors

hold an election on the same day who wish to

conduct their :coordinated election as a mail

ballot election, permission may be sought

from the secretary of state.

10 .3 .2 As soon as possible but no later than

75 days prior to an election, a written plan

must be submitted to the secretary of state

which includes the following:

a. Type of jurisdiction involved in the

election;

b. Description of the type of election

to be conducted.

c. Citation of the statute or home rule

charter provisions authorizing the election .
d. Estimated number of eligible

electors ;

e. Name of the designated election

official who will be responsible for all

aspects of the election;

f. Indication of whether county clerk

and recorder will assist in the election for

the entity other than by providing a list of

registered electors and other information

required by statute;

q. Total number of "places of deposit".

h. Written timetable for the conduct of

the election in accordance with the statute;

i. Indication of how postage will be

handled for ballot packets returned as

undeliverable (e .g . *return postage

guaranteed";

J . Indication of procedures to be

followed to ensure compliance with statutes

and rules, including persons responsible for

each stage;

k. Description of procedures to be used

to ensure ballot security at all stages of

the process;

1 . Description of procedures to be used

for signature verification;

m. Description .of procedures to ensure

privacy by folding the ballot or use of

secrecy envelopes so receiving judges cannot

tell how the elector voted;

n. Description of procedures to be used

to reconcile ballots issued, ballots

received, defective ballots and substitute

ballots.

10 .3 .3 Written timetable specifications:

10 .3 .1 The designated election official

shall prepare a written timetable for

conducting the mail ballot election with

specific dates or range of dates when each

activity is to be completed .
10 .3 .2 The timetable shall include the

following dates:

a. Copy of written plan to governing

body;

b. Date of approval of election;

c. Date of submission of written plan

to secretary of state's office;

d. Date of approval by secretary of

state;

e. Date of notice of election to

electorate;

f. Date of notice of election to the

county clerk;

g. Date of notice of election to the

county assessor;

h. Date of close of registration;

i. Date ballots mailed;

J . Date verification of ballots will

begin;

k. Date of the election.

10 .4 Registration books . 1-7 .5-107

(2)(a),(b)

10 .4 .1 A full and complete list of

registered electors : shall : be prepared for the

election in a manner best suited for the

election (e .g . alphabetized, by district,

etc .)

10 .4 .2 The county clerk and recorder shall 1-7 .5-107

submit the preliminary list no later than

thirty days prior to election day.

10 .4 .3 For elections where taxpaying

electors as defined in C .R.S . 1-1-104(49) are

eligible to vote, the assessor shall prepare

a property owner's list which includes the

name of all owners, not just the first name

listed on the deed.

10 .4 .4 For elections where ballots are

5
mailed to electors based on addresses

provided by the county assessor, the address

on the assessor's list must match the

elector's residence address on the election

records for the owner to be considered an

eligible elector and receive a ballot.

10 .4 .5 Post Office box numbers on the

assessors' list may not be used as an address

for registration purposes unless the election

record includes the post office number in

addition to the residence address.

10 .4 .6 Those persons to whom a mail ballot

is not sent may vote in person pursuant to

C.R.S . 1-7 .5-107 by completing an affidavit

as required by C .R.S. 1-7-103 or by absentee

ballot.

10 .4 .7 The county clerk or secretary of

state shall assist political subdivisions in

determining whether property owners are

registered electors in other counties in the

state and thus eligible to vote in the

election.

10 .4 .8 A supplemental list of those electors 1-7 .5-107

whose names were not included on the original (2)(b)

list shall be submitted by the county clerk

and recorder and the assessor to the

appropriate designated election official of

the political subdivision no later than 20

days before the election.

10 .4 .9 If the supplemental list is received

after the initial. mailing of .ballots, the

same procedures shall be followed for mailing

ballots to electors on the supplementary list

as for the initial mailings.

10 .5 Ballots . 1-7 .5-107

( 1 ),( 2 )( b )

10 .5 .1 Ballots and mail ballot packets shall

be prepared in substantially the same form as

is required by the secretary of state.

10 .5 .2 The information in the mail ballot

packet shall clearly indicate the type of

election, the issue upon which the elector is

voting, and all instructions for casting the

ballot .
10 .5 .3 For elections where multiple ballots

will be included in the same packet or will

be sent in separate packets, the ballots and

return envelopes shall include distinctive

markings or colors to identify political

subdivisions when the colors or distinctive

markings will aid in the distribution and

tabulation of the ballots.

10 .5 .4 Neither the Article E, Section 20

notice nor any other information about the

ballot issues may be printed on the ballot

itself, unless authorized by law.

10 .5 .5 The ballots shall contain the warning

required by C .R.S. 1-7 .5-107 (3)(b) advising

electors of the penalties for tampering with

the ballot :

"WARNING'

"Any person who, by use of force or

other means,unduly influences an elector

to vote in any particular manner or to

refrain from voting, or who falsely

makes, alters, forges, or counterfeits

any mail ballot before or after it has

been cast, or who destroys, defaces,

mutilates, or tampers with a ballot is

subject, upon conviction, to

imprisonment, or to a fine, or both ..

10 .5 .6 For punch card ballots, nonsequential ballots may be used as long as a

record is kept which indicates for which

election the ballot was used.

10.5 .7 A sufficient number but no less than

10 absentee or regular ballots shall be

printed thirty days prior to the election to

meet the requirements for mailing at that

time.

10 .6 Supplies and equipment.

10 .6 .1 The political subdivision calling the

election shall ensure that sufficient forms

and supplies are given to the election

officials to carry out their tasks.

10 .7 Mailing ballots . 1-7 .5-107

(3)(a)

7
10 .7 .1 The designated election official

shall mail a ballot to each eligible elector

entitled to vote in the mail ballot election

no sooner than 25 days and no later than 15

days before the date set for the election.

10 .7 .1 .1 The designated election

official for each political subdivision for

whom one or more county clerk and recorders

are conducting the election, shall assure

that a complete list of eligible electors in

their political subdivision is sent to each

appropriate county clerk and recorder, unless

otherwise provided in the intergovernmental

agreement . The political subdivision shall

list each elector only once to assure that

each elector receives one and only one ballot

unless otherwise authorized.

10 .7 .1 .2 For coordinated mail ballot

elections, each county clerk and recorder

shall compare the lists submitted by the

various political subdivisions to assure that

each elector receives the appropriate ballot

or ballots for the election.

10 .7 .2 The ballot shall be sent to the last

address appearing in the registration records

and shall be marked "DO NOT FORWARD . ADDRESS

CORRECTION REQUESTED" or similar language.

10 .7 .3 The mail ballot packets must include

a ballot, instructions for completing the

ballot, a secrecy envelope, and a return

verification envelope.

10 .7 .3 .1 The secrecy envelope and the

return verification envelope may be combined

as a single envelope if the instructions to

voters included in the mail ballot package

instruct the voter to fold the ballot in -a

manner that will conceal the voter's marks on

the ballot prior to placing it into the

envelope.

10 .7 .4 To assure full voter information,

for mail ballot elections which have issues

for which an Article A, Section 20 notice

will be mailed, it is strongly recommended

that the ballots be mailed no sooner than the

constitutionally required notice .
10 .7 .5 For all coordinated elections where

more than one mail ballot is being mailed or

polling place elections are being held as

well as the mail ballot election, the

outgoing envelope as well as the instructions

or other notice shall have the following

notice : This is not your only ballot . Other

elections may be held by other political

subdivisions by nail or by polling place.

10 .7 .6 The number of the ballot mailed to

each elector shall be recorded on the

registration list.

10 .7 .7 If the ballot is returned to the

election official as undeliverable, the

official shall not be required to remail the

ballot packet.

10 .8 Absentee and early voting . 1-7 .5-108

10 .8 .1 Absentee voting occurs in a mail

ballot election when a registered, eligible

elector wishes the ballot mailed to a place

other than the address of record.

10 .8 .2 A request for an absentee ballot may

be filed any time after January 1 of the year

of the election but not later than the close

of business three days prior to the election.

10 .8 .3 Upon receipt of a request for

absentee ballot, the designated election

official shall mail the original ballot or a

replacement ballot to that elector.

10 .8 .4 A notation shall be made on the

registration sheet that a request for an

absentee ballot w4t received, a ballot was

mailed to the alternate address and the

ballot number shall be noted.

10 .8 .5 For mail ballot elections, the

notation "Absentee Ballot No . A.V.

shall not be required on the absentee

ballots.

10 .8 .6 Establishment of a polling place for

early voting shall not be required for a mail

ballot election, however the location for

walk-in balloting must be maintained.

ci
10 .9 Judges to receive ballots as mailed.

10 .9 .1 One or more judges shall be appointed

for the site to which ballots are to be

mailed to receive the ballots as mailed.

10 .9 .2 Each day when ballots come in, a

judge shall count the ballots, batch them and

record the number of ballots received.

10 .9 .3 The ballots shall be date stamped

when received . If any ballot is received

after the time set for the closing of the

election, the ballot shall be date stamped

but the ballot shall not be counted.

10 .9 .4 Records shall also be kept of the

number of ballot packets returned as

undeliverable.

10 .9 .5 Ballots shall then be placed in a

safe, secure placed until the counting of the

ballots.

10 .10 Ballots delivered in person.

10 .10 .1 Under the following circumstances an 1-7 .5-107

elector may vote in person : (4)(b)

a. When the elector is absent from

his/her place of residence during the conduct

of the election;

b. When the elector requests a

replacement ballot;

c. When an elector who is entitled to 1-7 .5-107

vote is not listed on the property owner's (c)

list or registration list.

10 .10 .2 Each political subdivision is to 1-7 .5-

establish at least one site convenient to the 107(c)

voters and preferably within the political

subdivision where electors may vote in

person . The kite must be open during regular

business hours no sooner than 25 days before

election day nor later than 7 p .m . on

election day for ballot delivery.

10 .10 .3 If the political subdivision wishes

to establish a site for walk in voting

outside of the county, municipality or

3>

10
district, permission must be obtained from

the secretary of state.

10 .10 .4 If a completed ballot is delivered

in person, the judge is to include that

ballot with those received in the mail that

day.

10 .10 .5 If an elector wishes to vote in

person and does not have a ballot with

him/her, the judge shall follow the

procedures for issuance of a defective/

replacement ballot.

10 .10 .6 The judge shall have the elector

complete the sworn statement specifying the

reason for requesting the replacement ballot.

10 .11 Defective or replacement ballots.

10 .11.1 If an elector comes to the election

judge with a defective ballot, the judge

shall issue a replacement ballot for voting.

Requests for replacement ballots may be made

in writing, by mail, by fax or by telephone.

10 .11.2 A sworn statement specifying the

reason for requesting the replacement must be

signed by the elector and presented to the

election judge no later than 4 p .m. on

election day . If the ballot is returned by

mail, the sworn statement must be included in

the return verification envelope with the

marked ballot.

10 .11 .3 The sworn statement shall also

contain a statement in bold face that the

original ballot may not be cast and that, if

both the original and the replacement ballot

are cast, neither ballot will be counted.

10 .11 .4 The election official shall ensure

that the sworn statement required by C .R.S.

1-7 .5-107 (d)(1) is completed and that the

return verification envelope with the

identifying information is correctly

completed.

10 .11 .5 The judge shall note on the

registration list that a replacement ballot

has been issued and write the number of that

replacement ballot next to the name of the

I I
elector. The judge shall also note on the

return verification envelope in which the

ballot is placed that the ballot is a

replacement ballot.

10 .12 Judges to check return verification

envelopes.

10 .12 .1 The election judges may begin

verifying the information on the return

verification envelopes as soon as ballots are

received.

10.12 .2 The judges shall first check the

information on the outside of the envelope to

ensure the followings

a. The ballot was returned in the

return-verification envelope for an election

being conducted by the political subdivision;

b. The person who voted was in fact

eligible to vote (a registered elector and

property owner, if applicable);

c. The person completing the ballot is

an elector (as verified by the birthdate and

other identifying information) who has not

previously voted in the election nor had a

replacement ballot issued;

10 .12 .3 If the completed return verification

envelope is in substantial compliance with

Title 1, Article 7 .5 C .R .S ., the rules and

regulations promulgated by the-secretary of

state and the instructions for voting, at any

time during the ten days before the election,

the ballot shall be removed from the return

envelope for verification of the ballot

number to the pollbook.

10.12 .4 If the number on the ballot stub

matches the number on the ballot sent to the

elector, the judge shall so note next to the

name of the registered elector on the

official registration list . The judge shall

then remove the ballot stub and place the

ballot in a ballot box or transfer case for

counting.

10 .12 .5 Those return verification envelopes

which are defective shall be placed in a
secure container and retained . The ballots

are not to be removed from the defective

envelopes.

10 .12 .6 The judges are to make a final count

of ballots which are to be counted and

ballots which are rejected in the returnverification envelopes for the tally sheet.

10 .12 .7 Judges are to retain all envelopes

in which the ballots were received in a

secure container and deliver them with the

election results to the election official.

10 .13 Verification of replacement ballots.

10 .13 .1 If a return verification envelope is

submitted which contains a replacement ballot

or an original ballot for which a replacement

ballot was issued, that shall be set aside

until 7 :00 p .m. on election day.

10 .13 .2 The information on the return

verification envelope may be checked prior to

7 :00 p.m . on election day, but the ballot may

not be removed from the envelope until voting

is complete.

10 .13 .3 When voting is complete, the

replacement ballots shall be checked to

ensure that the elector only voted with the

replacement ballot.

10 .13 .4 If it appears that an elector voted 1-7 .5-107

more than one . time, then . none of the ballots (6)

cast by that elector shall .be counted . The

ballots shall be considered rejected and

handled in the same way as other rejected

ballots.

10 .13 .5 If it appears that the elector voted

the original ballot but requested a

replacement ballot, the original ballot shall

not be counted because the replacement ballot

voids the original ballot.

10 .13 .6 If it appears that the elector only

voted the replacement ballot and if all the

information is complete on the return

verification envelope, the ballot may be

removed and counted as the other ballots.

15
:10 .14 Judges to count the ballots.

10 .14 .1 On the day before election day and

on election day, the judges first count all

security envelopes with ballots to ensure

that those logged in are in fact accounted

for.

10 .14 .2 The judges remove the ballots from

the security envelopes and tabulate the

results.

10 .14 .3 If it appears that a ballot is

defective, then the ballot shall not be

counted but shall be placed in a secure

container and retained.

10 .14 .4 A defective ballot is one where the

voter's intention is not apparent from the

markings on the ballot.

10 .14 .5 The judges shall keep accounting

forms with the election results.

10 .15 Judges certificate.

10 .15 .1 The judges are to enter results of 1-7-308

the count on the judges' certificate and 1-7-309

statement.

10 .15 .2 The judges are to deliver the

results of the election to the designated

election official along with all election

materials.

10 .15 .3 The judgesrare .to deliver all

election materials bound separately as

follows :

a. Ballots which were counted;

b. Ballots which were defective;

• c . Ballots/verification envelopes

which may be challenged;

d. Verification envelopes with

ballots removed;

e. Defective verification

envelopes with ballots inside;

37

/4
f . Ballot packets which were

returned as undeliverable.

10 .16 Canvass of votes/certificates of election.

10 .16 .1 The canvass of election shall occur

as required by the enabling statute of the

entity calling the election.

10 .16 .2 The canvass shall include the number

of ballots mailed, the number issued in

person and the number received.

10 .16 .3 All certificates shall be issued by

the election officials as required by the

enabling statute of the entity calling the

election.

10 .17 Challenge of elections.

10 .17 .1 Elections can be challenged as

provided in the enabling statute of the

entity calling the election.

10,.17 .2 A failure of an elector to receive a

ballot will not by itself be sufficient

grounds for the challenge of an election, so

long as the designated election official

acted in substantial compliance with Title 1,

Article 7 .5, C.R.S . or the rules promulgated

thereunder by the secretary of state.

10 .17 .3 A technical violation of the

procedures in the running of the election

shall not be .. dmeaed sufficient to invalidate

the election . .. The test shall be whether the

procedures were such as to ensure that a

fundamentally fair election was held.

10 .18 Retention of election materials.

10 .18 .1 Election materials are to be

retained by the designated election official

for the time required by the enabling

legislation.

10 .19 Filing of report.

10 .19 .1 After the election the designated

election official shall file a report with

the secretary of state which shall include

result of the election, number of ballots

15
mailed, number of absentee ballots, turn-out

statistics, cost of the election, and any

other information requested by the secretary

of state .

(4
MAIL BALLOT ELECTIONS
with the instructions provided with the ballot.

The elector may return the marked ballot to

the county election officer by United States

mail, if it is received by the county election

officer by the date of the election, or personally

deliver the ballot to the office of the county

election officer before noon on the date of the

election . The ballot must be returned in the

return identification envelope . The county

election officer shall provide for the payment

of postage for the return of ballot envelopes.

(c) The return identification envelope shall

contain the following form:
the date of the election. Electors registered

after 30 days prior to the date of the election,

but prior to the closing of the registration

books, may apply for a ballot under subsection

(d) of K.S.A . 25-433.

History; L. 1983, ch. 125, § 6; July 1 .
: . CHAFFER 18

MAIL BALLOT ELECTIONS
MAIL BALLOT ELECTIONS
3, 3-19.105 ELECTIONS
MAIL BALLOT EL1! C'11UL'

Part 2

Preelection Procedure
13-19-205 ELECTIONS

. . Part'•3

Election Procedure
MAIL BALLOT ELECTIONS
1 n1-10-t.)VIJ ELECTIONS

(3) • Upon receiving the sworn statement, the election administrator shall

issue a replacement ballot to the elector. Each spoiled ballot must be returned

before a new one may be issued.

(4) The election administrator : shall designate his office or a central

location in the political subdivision in which the election is conducted as the
MAIL BALLOT ELECTIONS
13-19-312 ' ELECTIONS

(a) it is sealed in the secrecy envelope and returned in the returr/verification envelope :
YOUTH VOTING ACT

(3) If the counting board is unable to resolve the issue to its satisfaction,

it may not count the ballot in question. Instead, the election administrator

shall present the issue to the board of canvassers for a determination of the

issue.

(4) If the board of canvassers is unable to resolve the issue, the ballot must

not be counted.

History: En. 8.0.26, Ch. 196, L. 1986.
Item 5

7 .9 .36 .120 Election by mail—Small precincts—

Notice and application form—Nonpartisan and special

elections. (Effective until January 1, 1995.) (I) At any

primary or election, general or special, the county auditor
(2) In an odd-numbered year, the county auditor may

conduct by mail ballot a primary or a special election

concurrently with the primary:

(a)For any office or ballot Measure of a special purpose

district which is entirely within the county;

(b) For any office or ballot nraswne of a special purpose

district which lies in the county and one or more other

counties if the auditor first secures the concurrence of the

county auditors of those other counties to conduct the

orimary in this manser district-wide: and
(2) A registered voter may obtain a replacement ballot

as provided in this subsection if the ballot is destroyed,

spoiled, lost, or not received by the voter. A registered voter

seeking a replacement ballot shall sign a sworn statement

that the ballot was destroyed, spoiled, lost, or not received

and shall present the statement to the county auditor no later

than the day of the election. Each spoiled ballot must be retamed to the county auditor before a new one is issued . The

county auditor shall keep a record of each replacement ballot

provided under this subsection. [1983 1st ex .s. c 71 § 3.]

29.36 .126 Election by mail—Return of marked

ballots. Upon receipt of the mail ballot, the voter shall mark

it, sign the return identification envelope supplied with the

ballot, and comply with the instructions provided with the

ballot. The voter may return the marked ballot to the county

auditor . The ballot must be returned in the return identification envelope . If mailed, a ballot must be postmarked not

later than the date of the election . Otherwise, the ballot

must be deposited at the office of the county auditor or the

designated place of deposit not later than 8 :00 p.m . on the

date of the election . [1993 c 417 § 4; 1983 1st ex .s. c 71 §

4 .]

29 .36.130 Election by mail—Small precincts,

nonpartisan special elections—Ballot contents, counting,

secrecy, authorized observers . All mail ballots authorized

by RCW 29 .36 .120 or 29 .36 .121 shall contain the same

offices, names of candidates, and propositions to be voted

upon, including precinct offices, as if the ballot had been

voted in person at the polling place . Except as otherwise

provided in this chapter, mail ballots shall be issued and canvassed in the same manner as absentee ballots issued

pursuant to the request of the voter . The county canvassing

board, at the request of the county auditor, may direct that

mail ballots be counted on the day of the election . If such

count is made, it must be done in secrecy in the presence of

the canvassing board or their authorized representatives and

the results not revealed to any unauthorized person until 8 :00

p .m . or later if the auditor so directs . If electronic vote

tallying devices are used, political party observers shall be

afforded the opportunity to be present, and a test of the

equipment must be performed as required by RCW

29 .33 .350 prior to the count of ballots. Political party observers may select at random ballots to be counted manually

as provided by RCW 29 .54 .025 . Any violation of the

secrecy of such count shall be subject to the same penalties

as provided for in RCR' 29 .85 .225 . [1993 c 417 § 5 ; 1990

c 59 § 76; 1983 1st ex.s . c 71 § 5 ; 1967 ex .s . c 109 § 7.]

Intent—Effective date—1990 a 59 : See notes following RCW

29 .01 .006.

2936.139 Mail ballots—Counting requirements—

Challenge. (I) A mail ballot shall be counted only if it is

returned in the return identification envelope, if the envelope

is signed by the registered voter to whom the ballot is

issued, and if the signature is verified as provided in this

subsection . The county auditor shall verify the signature of

each voter on the return identification envelope with the

signature on the voter's registration record . A person who

votes or attempts to vote more than once in a mail ballot

election is subject to the penalties provided in chapter 29 .85

RCW.

(2) Any mail ballot may be challenged in the same

manner as an absentee ballot . [1993 c 417 § 6 ; 1983 1st

ex.s . c 71 § 6 .]

29.36.150 Rules for accuracy, secrecy, and uniformity—Out-of-state, overseas, service voters . The secretary

of state shall adopt rules to:

(1)Establish standards and procedures to prevent fraud

and to facilitate the accurate processing and canvassing of

absentee ballots and mail ballots;

(2)Establish standards and procedures to guarantee the

secrecy of absentee ballots and mail ballots;

(3)Provide uniformity among the counties of the state

in the conduct of absentee voting and mail ballot elections;

and

(4) Facilitate the operation of the provisions of this

chapter regarding out-of-state voters, overseas voters, and

service voters.

The secretary of state shall produce and furnish envelopes and instructions for out-of-state voters, overseas voters.

and service voters to the county auditors. [1993 c 417 § 7;

1987 c 346 § 19; 1983 1st ex.s . c 71 § 8.)

I.sgltlonve lsSeet—Effe:tive dare—1907 e 316 : See Dotes following

RCW 29.36.010.

2936.160 Penalty. A. person who willfully violates

any provision of this chapter regarding the assertion or

declaration of qualifications to receive or cast an absentee

ballot, unlawfully casts a vote by absentee ballot, or willfully

violates any provision regarding the conduct of mail ballot

primaries or elections under RCW 29 .36 .120 through

29 .36 .139 is guilty of a class C felony punishable under

RCW 9A.20.021 . Except as provided in chapter 29.85 RCW

a person who willfully violates any other provision of this

chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor . [1994 c 269 § 2 ; 1991

c 81 § 34 ; 1987 c 346 § 20 ; 1983 1st ex .s. c 71 § 9 .]

Effective date—1991 a 81 : See note following RCW 29.85 .010.

t.eIYlanve tolent. -FSTadUve dais--1907 c 346: See notes following

RCW 29.36.010.

29.36.170 Special absentee ballots . (I) As provided

in this section. county auditors shall provide special absentee

ballots to be used for state primary or state general elections.

A special absentee ballot shall only be provided to a voter

who completes an application stating that:

(a)The voter believes that she or he will be residing or

stationed or working outside the continental United States;

and

(b) The voter believes that she or he will be unable to

vote and return a regular absentee ballot by normal mail

delivery within the period provided for regular absentee

ballots.

The application for a special absentee ballot may not be

filed earlier than ninety days before the applicable state

primary or general election. The special absentee ballot

shall list the offices and measures, if known, scheduled to

appear on the state primary or general election ballot . The

voter may use the special absentee ballot to write in the
name of any eligible candidate for each office and vote on

any measure.

(2) With any special absentee ballot issued under this

section, the county auditor shall include a listing of any

candidates who have filed before the time of the application

for offices that will appear on the ballot at that primacy or

election and a list of any issues that have been referred to

the ballot before the time of the application.

(3) Write-in votes on special absentee ballots shall be

counted in the same manner provided by law for the counting of other write-in votes. The county audtor shall plocsss i

and canvass the special absentee ballots provided under this

section in the same manner as other absentee ballots under

chapters 29.36 and 29 .62 RCW.

(4) A voter who requests a special absentee ballot under

this section may also request an absentee ballot under RCW

2936.010. if the regular absentee ballot is properly voted

and returned, the special absentee ballot shall be deemed

void and the county auditor shall reject it in whole when

special absentee ballots are canvassed . [1991 c 81 8 35;

1987c346821 .)

taWsetivm dote—1991 a 81: 8e- more foltswimg RCW 29 .83.010.

Lcreretem to .-~llrttlw dote—1e87 c 316 6e mows fo8ow4mj

RCW 29.36.010.
Appendix 2

Plans, Timelines, Procedures

Written plan requirements—Kansas

Item 1. Checklist of requirements for mail

ballot election, KS

Item 2. Requirements for inclusion in a

written plan for mail ballot elections, KS

Written plan requirements—Montana

Item 3. Written plan for the conduct of a mail

ballot election, MT

Item 4. Timetable for mail ballot elections, MT

Brief timeline

Item 5. Timetable of events, Marks and

St. Charles counties, MO

Detailed timeline

Item 6. Amended vote-by-mail election

checklist, Ferry County, WA

Combined timeline and procedures

Item 7. Mail ballot election procedures,

Orange County, FL

Outlined procedures

Item 8. Procedure for mail ballot election

handling of ballots, Cascade County, WA

Detailed procedures

Item 9. Conducting a vote-by-mail election,

Thurston County, WA

Ballot problems

Item 10. Invalid ballot form letter,

Lake County, MT

Item 11. Replacement ballot request form,

Lake County, MT

Item 12. Error log, Wahkiacum County, WA

Item 13. Ballot security, Wahkiacum County, WA

91
Office of the Secretary of State

Checiciist of

Requirements for Mall Ballot Election
_ (1) outgoing "Do Not Forward" envelope

_ a) return/identification envelope

_ (3) log for return/identification envelope

_ (4) offidal ballot

_ (5) voter instructions

_ (6) abstract of votes cast

_ (7) notice of the election

_ (8) close of registration publication

_ (9) poll books and tally sheets

_ (10) verified statement for a replacement ballot

_ (11) forms required for.

(a) former precinct residents

(b) change of residence within precinct

(c) change of name

(d) absentee voting
O'3) Postmaster's timetable for mall ballot mailing and delivery.

e. Various policy statements from the CEO's office are required to conduct a

mail ballot election. These polides outline admintstrative procedures that will be followed

by the CEO's office during the election . The required policy statecta:b include but are not

limited to:

CI) Ballot reception from postal authorities.

(Z) Signature verification procedures.

(3) Challenges and/or determination of validity by CEO.

(4) Processing voted ballots and preparation for original canvass.

-

(S) Access and observation of canvass.

-

(6) Absentee and replacement ballot procedures.

+, (7) Security for the election.

(8) Election supplies needed.

(9) Estimated cost differential of mail ballot election.

signature of CEO

date

R hd QV/9S
Item 2

REQUIREMENTS FOR INCLUSION IN A WRITTEN PLAN FOR

NAIL BALLOT ELECTIONS

1 . Provide the names of all individuals responsible for the mail ballot election.

School Board Members Officials Canvass Board Election Staff

Board Workers _ Temporary Workers of any)

2 . Provide samples of all printed materials and persons responsible for their

reproduction, including:

a) Ballots

b) Outgoing "DO NOT FORWARD" envelopes

c) Return/Identification envelopes

d) Instructions for voting, to include date of return to CEO

e) Poll Books

f) Tally Sheets

g) Abstract of Votes Cast

h) Verified Statement for a Replacement Ballot

i) Notice of Election

.1) Close of Registration Books - Publication

k) Log for Return/Identification envelopes

1) Affidavits of Move and Name Change

m) Application for Absentee Ballots

3 . Provide brief narrative of agreement reached with local postal officials.

Include in this narrative any special problems identified by the postal

official, contingencies for those problems and your general impression of the

cooperativeness of the postal official you will be principally dealing with

during the mail ballot election.

4 . Provide copies of all resolutions, ordinances or other documents passed by the

political or taxing subdivision which mandates the "calling" of the election.

5 . Provide an election calendar for the mail ballot election, to include:

a) The date of delivery for printed materials necessary to mail

b) County election officer preparation time for all election procedures

c) Timetable of post office requirements

6 . Provide policy statements regarding:

a) Mail preparation and delivery to postal officials (Postal Agreement)

b) Ballot reception in the office of the CEO

c) Signature Verification (include notices: no signature and signature card

mailing)

d) Challenging

e) Processing voted ballots

f) Access and observation of canvass

g) Mail Ballot Election Supplies

h) Additional staff for emergencies

i) Cost differential in Mail Ballot Elections

,J) Security for the Election

k) Replacement ballot procedures

1) Absentee ballots

m) Mail Ballot procedure for two counties within electoral district

n) Public Information
Item 3

Written Plan

For the conduct of a Mail Ballot Election
10. Number of places of deposit If other than your office, list places and addresses:

(For each of the following, explain what you will do.)

11. ;If ballots are returned as undeliverable,

12. When ballots are returned by elector for counting, postage will be paid by

If elector is requited to apply postage, insufficient postage will be handled by
Item 4

TIMETABLE FOR MAIL BALLOT ELECTIONS

(pursuant to 13-19-205, MCA)
The officer or agency calling the election has

submitted a written request that the election be

conducted by mail . (115 .652)

The election authority has authorized the use of mail

ballots for this election.

The written plan and/or checklist has been made

available to the public and has been forwarded to the

officer or agency calling the election.

The mail ballot, secrecy envelope, ballot return

envelope, ballot instructions and outgoing envelopes

have been prepared and are ready for mailing.

The notice of election has been published the first of

two times and contains notice of intent to hold the

election by mail . the notice includes instructions

for when qualified voters should receive a ballot and

what steps to take if they fail to receive a ballot.

(115 .127)

All ballot materials have been mailed first class to

qualified voters or personally delivered by a team of

election judges . (115 .655 .1)

No replacement ballot will be transmitted by mail if

the replacement application is not received by the

close of business this day . Prospective voters may

receive a ballot if they personally deliver their

replacement application to the election authority

prior to noon on election day . (115 .655 .5)

Election judges will begin signature verification

procedures on early ballot returns.

Election judges will begin tallying ballot returns but

will not release results until after 7 p .m . No

ballots will be accepted at ballot reception sites

after 7 p .m . (115 .855 .6)
Item 6

AMENDED

VOTE-BY-MAIL ELECTION CHECKLIST

DATE:

20-SEPT-94

TYPE:

PRIMARY

DATE ACTIVITY COMPLETED

22-JUN-94 Confirm Courthouse room reservations

Notify districts of resolution deadlines

Submarine Ballots Available

Order Ballots if possible

Inventory Supplies

22-JUL-94 Last Day to File Vote-By-Mail Plan with SOS

25-JUL-94 Filing Week Begins

29-JUL-94 Filing Week Ends

02-AUG-94 Ballot Layout to Printer

04-AUG-94 Last Day for Candidates To Withdraw

05-AUG-94 Last Day for Major Parties to Fill Vacancies

Resolutions Received

Notify other counties of elections issue on

ballot, when applicable

Check for Address Confidentiality Voters

Participating in Election

08-AUG-94 Notice of Closing To Voter Registration Assistants

Notify Jurisdictions of Intent to Conduct the

Election by Mail

Notify Newspaper of VBM election

Notify the Post Office of VBM election

Ballots & Sample ballots ordered, if not done

already

Last day for SOS to certify candidates to Auditors

Last minute additions or deletions to Printer

09-AUG-94 Material to Newspaper for Notice of Closing will

run August 11, 1994

Decide whether to open office Saturday of Closing

If office open on Closing, send press release
11-AUG-94 Send Ballot Title(s) to Jurisdictions and Assessor,

if applicable

Send to SOS VBM plan corrections

Letter to Newspaper to observe VBM processes

12-AUG-94 Last Day for Precinct Committee Officers to File

16-AUG-94 Counting Board workers cards Mailed

Sample Ballots ready

20-AUG--94 Closing reg . books for election, except for inperson registration

22-AUG--94 Begin assembling ballot material

Hire additional temporary help

24-AUG--94 Submit voucher for VBM postage

25-AUG-94 Deadline for voter re g , transfer, and delete

processing

Run VBM List and Labels

Receive materials from printer

Deadline for receiving ballot order

26-AUG-94 Precinct summary printed

Schedule Canvassing Board Meetings

O1-SEP•-94 Put up Courthouse signs related to the election

Print Name and Address Books

02-SEP-94 Mail Ballots

Last Day for in person reg. in Auditors Office

06-SEP-94 Election Day/Night staffing complete

Statistical Information on past elections compiled

Start notifying voters of ballots returned without

Signatures, do this on daily basis until 8 :00 P .M.

Election Day

12-SEP-94 Statistical information on past elections available

13-SEP-94 Notice of Election to Newspaper, run once

Notice to Canvassing Board

Send legal notice of canvassing board meeting to

Newspaper, run twice Sept . 15, and Sept . 22

15-SEP-94 Notice of Election published this day

19-SEP-94 Precinct Checklist for Election Night done

20-SEP-94 Open Office at 7 :00 a.m.

Clean Auditors Office

Signs hung in designated areas

Staff to answer phones until ballots counted

28-SEP-94 Ballots ready for Canvassing Board

29-SEP-94 Canvassing Board to meet

End Mail-Ballot Reports
30-SEP-94 Certify election

Send certification notices to Assessor's Office,

SPI, taxing districts, and Treasurer, if needed

End Mail-in Reports

03-OCT-94 Send VBM Election Report to SOS
Item 7

1faIL BALLOT ELECTION PROCEDDEEB

BENCHMARK

Orange County, Florida

City of Apopka Election date :September 14, 1993

Special Mail Ballot Election

Revision of City Charter

DAYS

BEFORE

ELECTION

(Ideal)

TARGET

(Actual)

180 days

prior

3-18-93

160 days 4-7-93

(3-30-93)

155 4-12-93

(4-12-93)

120 5-17-93

90 6-16-93

(scheduled

Supervisor of Elections approved

Mail Ballot Election, confirmed

election date O .K. Written response

to City Clerk.

Meeting between Supervisor of

Elections and election officer of

jurisdiction to discuss election

responsibilities.

Supervisor of Elections provides

jurisdiction with number of

registered voters and demographics

for use in placing ballot order and

ordering voting materials.

Election Agreement between

Supervisor of Elections and City of

Apopka submitted to County Attorney

for approval.

Apopka City Council passes ordinance

asking for referendum and drafts

6-14-93) ordinance/resolution calling for

special election,setting date of

election . Publishes any legal

advertising required -

TASK

Connie Major, City Clerk and

election official, City of Apopka

contacted Betty Carter, Supervisor

of Elections on behalf of City

Council--requested Mail Ballot

referendum be held September 14,

1993.
Election agreement between

Supervisor of Elections and City of

Apopka submitted to City Clerk.

90 6-16-93 Supervisor of Elections mails Plan

for Mail Ballot Election to Division

of Elections

90 6-16-93 Governing Body provides Supervisor

of Elections with copies of

initiating documents

Chief Judge, County Chairman

contacted with request to appoint

Canvassing Board.

90 6-16-93 Notice of Election mailed to

overseas voters

90 6-16-93 Meeting with postal representative

to discuss Mail Ballot requirements-

-check format of mail ballot

envelopes, put on notice about

volume expected--remind them that

these ballots cannot be forwarded.

90 6-16-93 Outgoing & Return envelopes ordered

- "Official Mail Ballot", special

voter affidavit (100% current

registered voters plus 10% for

reinstatements, address changes,

etc .) "Do NOT FORWARD" printed on

mail out envelope . # 11 plain white

envelopes ordered for secrecy

envelopes.

90 6-16-93 Order Voting instructions printed

and folded (English & Spanish)

75 7-1-93 Election initiated on Election

Office in house EMS system

Canvassing Board members notified of

meeting schedule.

60 7-16-93 City Clerk provides Supervisor of

Elections with ballot language in

English & Spanish

60 7-16-93 Ballot layout approved and delivered

to printer . City to place order and

pay directly for ballots .
60 7-16-93 Election initiated on BRC election

software (EMS) system.

60 7-16-93 Book closing ads in newspaper of

general circulation.

60 7-16-93 Special ad run advising voters only

those on active status will be

receiving Mail Ballot.

Also, any address changes must be

made with Supervisor of Elections

before date certain in order to have

ballot mailed. Only those ACTIVE

VOTERS residing in the jurisdiction

holding the election will be mailed

a ballot.

Staff notified of INACTIVE VOTERS

procedure:

Request for reinstatement must be in

writing.

Ad also a reminder to request

absentee ballot if won't be in

jurisdiction during period for

mailing and return of ballots.

7-26-93 Test ballots received, test decks

marked, ballots tested

7-26-93 Absentee ballot labels ordered from

tech dept . to be printed for 7-30-93

7-30-93 Absentee ballots mailed to all

voters who have requested absentee

ballots.

8-10-93 Assemble mail ballot envelopes and

instructions into packets

containing : mailing envelope, return

envelope with affidavit, secrecy

envelope, instructions . Have ready

to label and add ballots.

8-13-93 City Clerk to publish

and 8-27- Resolution/Ordinance ads according

93 to statutes which prevail.

30 + 1 8-16-93 Voter registration books close.

As soon as all transactions

completed by data, 2-up absentee

type labels printed by Election

50

50 .

46

35

32
Office for all active registered

voters in City of Apopka who did not

request absentee ballot - print-out

of all voters for this election sent

to City Clark. (delivery date

entered into "absentee" system when

labels produced)

Ballots received and prepared for

mailing to all Active Voters

residing in the City of Apopka who

have NOT requested an absentee

ballot.

All mail ballots to post office for

delivery.

Media advised that all Mail Ballots

have been placed into the postal

system. Ballots returned by mail and

hand delivery to Supervisor of

Elections . May be hand delivered to

Connie Major, Apopka City Clerk at

Apopka City Hall.

Anyone who does not receive Mail

Ballot should contact Supervisor of

Elections to ascertain problem with

their registration so they can be

mailed a ballot within the legal

time frame.

20 8-25-93 Ads for Public Testing (L & A) and

Canvassing Board Meeting, ballots

available for examination before

opening - prepared and delivered to

newspaper of general circulation

19 8-24-93 Log returned absentee and mail

ballots as returned . (Election Office

begins signature verification and

computer entry of returns) . Ballots

delivered to City Hall transferred

to Election Office daily with a

"double receipt" system of

accounting.

19 8-24-93 Begin verification of signatures on

returned Mail Ballot affidavits

11 9-3-93 Special Ad in Papers re : Didn't get

your Mail Ballot? Must come to

26 5-19-93

20 8-25-93

20 8-25-93
Aoffice to make changes or be

reinstated and get ballot.

10 9-4-93 Last date to place mail ballots into

mail.

7 9-7-93 Issue ballots to eligible voters who

did not receive ballots in mail . "

7 9-7-93 Canvassing Board convenes to test L

i A for ballot processing equipment.

F.S . 101 .5612

Parameters to Division of Elections

2 9-12-93 Last date/Ad published re : ballots

available for examination before

opening, canvassing of ballots.

1 9-13-93 Continua verifying all signatures on

returned Mail Ballots and absentee

ballots

0 9-14-93 ELECTION DAY - 7 p .m. deadline for

return of ballots.

9-14-93 Absentee and Mail ballots available

between 10 :00 AM and 12 noon for

examination before opening

ELECTION 9-14-93 Canvassing Board begins canvassing

DAY of absentee and mail ballots 12 :30

p .m.

Pre-processing Logic and Accuracy

test conducted.

All approved mail and absentee

ballots are opened and run through

processor at direction of canvassing

board.

At 7 :30 P.M. all ballots received

during day are presented to

canvassing board, then opened and

processed.

At the direction of the canvassing

board, processing is ended and

tabulation of election results is

printed .
Any ballots which were outstacked

are examined by the canvassing board

and votes manually included in

totals.

9-14-93 Post Tabulation Logic and Accuracy

Test conducted, compared with Pretabulation Logic and Accuracy Test

9-14-93 Election results verified

+1 9-15-93 Election results certified to

Department of State.

+2 9-16-93 Voter History entered into computer

for ]ill voters who returned mail

ballot or absentee ballot.

9-17-93 Voter History verified

Election report prepared

9-21-93 Invoice prepared - submitted

to finance dept.

9-24-93 All records generated by and for the

Mail Ballot Election are prepared

for storage and stored until

Division of Archives gives

permission to destroy.

+3

+7

+10

T
Item 8

PROCEDURE FOR MAIL BALLOT ELECTION

HANDLING OF BALLOTS

1. Official ballots mailed to every qualified elector of the

district.

2. Elector shall mark the ballot and place it in a secrecy

envelope.

3. Elector shall place the secrecy envelope containing his

ballot in a return/verification envelope and return it

by mail or in person to Election Administrator.

4. When ballot is returned, election officials shall qualify

the submitted ballots by examining the return/verification

envelope to determine whether is is submitted by 'a qualified

elector who has not previously voted.

5. To qualify the ballot, first check the register to see if

voter is registered . Then compare the signature on the

envelope with voter's signature . Initial that you checked this.

Rosj Mti s's below signat a line+-

6. Open the return/verification envelope and retain it as an 441,8i4e

official record . (keep alphabetized)

7. Remove and examine the secrecy envelope to determine it the

ballot is valid pursuant to section 24.

B . If ballot is valid, stamp or write in the official register

on the line of the voter's name, "Ballot rec'd (and the date) ."

9. Deposit the unopened secrecy envelope containing the ballot into

the official ballot box . (Box must be sealed and locked)

10. See instructions if the validity of the ballot is questioned.

REMEMBER TO CANVASS THE VOTES OF THE ELECTION BEFORE SENDING

THE MATERIALS TO TRI-county .
Item 9

CONDUCTING A VOTE-BY-MAIL ELECTION

Action Bv : Action:

Election 1 . Sends Notice of Closing to newspaper

Deputy 48 days prior to Election Day to be

published 40 days prior.

District(s) 2 . Submits resolution calling for voteRequesting

Vote-By-Mail

Election

by-mail election.

Election 3 . Submits resolution to Prosecuting

Deputy Attorney at least 45 days prior to

Election Day.

Prosecuting

Attorney

4 . Writes ballot title for resolution.

5 . Returns resolution and ballot title

to Election Department

Election 6 . Inventories election supplies and

Technician orders needed materials at least 45

days prior to Election Day.

Election 7 . Meets with district(s) regarding

Supervisor procedures and materials.

Assistant 8 . Notifies media of Vote-By-Mail

Elections election 42 days prior to Election

Supervisor Day.

9 . Notifies district(s) of intent to

conduct election by mail 40 days

prior to Election Day.

1
10 . Sends notice of vote-by-mail and copy

of resolution to Secretary of State

40 days prior to Election Day.

Elections 11 . Receives proofs from printer for

Technician materials 40 days prior to Election

Day.

Assistant 12 . Prepares Election Worksheet and Task

Elections Checklists 35 days prior to Election

Supervisor Day.

13 . Contacts additional personnel needed

35 days prior to Election Day.

14 . Reviews current vote-By-Mail forms

and makes revisions as necessary 35

days prior to Election Day.

Election 15 . Receives materials from printer 33

Technician days prior to Election Day.

Elections 16 . Meet with Post Office to discuss

Supervisor and mailing arrangements and mailing

Assistant materials at least 33 days prior to

Elections

Supervisor

Election Day.

Election 17 . Begins ballot assembly 30 days prior

Technician to Election Day . (WAC 434-36-090)

(See PRO-1220, PRO-1221)

Election 18 . Finishes processing new voter

Deputy registration, transfers and

cancellations at least 25 days prior

to Election Day.

19 . Orders Central Services lists
Central 20 . Produces master list 22 days prior to

Services Election Day.

Election 21 . Mails ballots 21 days prior to

Technician Election Day. (See PRO-1221)

Assistant 22 . Begins Ballot Receipt Procedures 2

Elections days after ballot mailing . (See PROSupervisor 1230)

23 . Sends notice to Canvassing Board

members of meeting dates.

Elections 24 . Sends Notice of Election to newspaper

Deputy to be published six days prior to

Election Day.

Election 25 . Conduct Logic and Accuracy Test 5

Supervisor and days prior to Election Day . (WAC

Ballot Counter 434-36-170)

Assistant 26 . Conducts ballot opening on Election

Elections

Supervisor

Day. (See PRO-670)

27 . Submits ballots to Canvassing Board

on Election Day . (See TSK-570)

Elections 28 . Counts ballots on Election Day but

Supervisor and results not available until after

Ballot Counter midnight . (See PRO-745)

Assistant 29 . Conducts last opening of ballots 8

Elections

Supervisor

days after Election Day.

30 . Schedules and prepares for Canvassing

Board meeting scheduled 9 days after

Election Day.

3
31. Count ballots for final results 10

days after Election Day.

32. Prepares Certification and gets

Canvassing Board members to sign it.

33. Gives Certification to Elections

Supervisor.

34. Finishes Certification Process . (See

TSK-880)

35. Prepares Secretary of State report.

36. Sends report to Secretary of State

(WAC 434-60-210)

37. Prepares and sends County Auditor's

Report to Assessor.

37A. If election is for school

district, also sends report to

Superintendent of Public

Instruction.

38. Sends copies of final results, County

Auditor's Report, and Secretary of

State Report to District(s).

39. Sends list of voters attempting to

vote twice to Prosecuting Attorney.

40. Prepares and sends bill for election

to Districts at least 30 days after

Election Day.

Election

Supervisor and

Ballot Counter

Assistant

Elections

Supervisor

Elections

Supervisor

Assistant

Elections

Supervisor
ASSEMBLING VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOTS

Action By : Action:

Election 1. Assembles needed materials:

Technician

Ballots

Outer Envelopes

Inner Envelopes

Instructions

Ballot Pages (If Applicable)

Styluses

Mailing Trays

Bandaids

Rubber Fingers

Hand Lotion

Precinct Summary List

2 . Sets up three tables end to end for

each assembly group.

Worker No . 1 3 . Opens flaps of outer envelopes to aid

in stuffing.

4 . Gives envelopes to Worker No . 3.

Worker No . 2 5 . Selects ballots of precinct or

district to be stuffed.

6. Counts number of ballots needed

according to Precinct Summary.

7. Folds ballots at perforation and

gives ballots to Worker No . 3.

Worker No . 3 8 . Places ballot inside inner envelope

and passes it onto Worker No . 4.

Worker No . 4 9 . Places ballot page behind ballot and

passes it onto Worker No . 5.

5
10. Places inner envelope behind ballot

page (or ballot if no ballot page)

and passes it onto Worker No . 6.

11. Places instructions behind inner

envelope and passes it onto Worker

No . 7.

Worker No . 7 12 . Clips Stylus onto materials and

passes it onto Worker No . S.

Worker No . 8 13 . Checks to be sure all materials are

present in outer envelope and passes

it onto Worker No. 9.

Worker No . 9 14 . Places all stuffed ballots in mail

trays by precinct or district.

Worker No . 5

Worker No . 6

b
LABELING AND STUFFING VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOTS

Action Bv : Action:

Assistant 1 . Orders postage check at least two

Elections weeks prior to mailing.

Supervisor

2 . Orders labels by precinct (or

district) one or two days before

mailing.

Elections 3 . Sets up table in Stuffing Room: One

Technician table for checking labels, one table

for sealing, one table for sorting,

and one table for each stuffing team.

4 . Places extra mail trays beside each

stuffing team table.

Label Checker 5 . Checks each precinct's (or

district's) labels for obvious

address problems.

6. Distributes labels to stuffing teams,

each team receiving on entire

precinct (or district).

7. Informs Runner of the precinct (or

district) each team receives.

Runner 8 . Finds and delivers the appropriate

tray(s) of stuffed ballots and

mailing envelopes to stuffing team.

Stuffing Team 9 . Sticks mailing label on stuffed

Member No . 1 ballot and passes it onto Stuffing

Team Member No . 2.

7
Places stuffed and labeled ballot

into mailing envelope, making sure

that label is visible through window.

Places ballot into mailing tray.

Gathers ballots from mailing trays.

Lays ballot out with gummed edge of

flap exposed.

Moistens gummed flaps with envelope

sealer.

Closes envelope flaps as each are

moistened.

Gathers sealed ballots into trays and

delivers them to the sorter.

Sorts ballots by zip code, watching

for misatuffed ballots.

Places ballots into trays by zip code

and labels each tray.

Counts number of ballots in each zip

code.

Gives numbers to Assistant Elections

Supervisor.

Fills out bulk mailing sheet using

number of ballots in each zip code.

Sends copy of sheet to Central

Services.

Stuffing Team

Member No . 2

10.

11.

Sealing Crew

Member No . 1

12.

13.

Sealing Crew

Member No . 2

14.

Sealing Crew

Member No . 3

15.

Runner 16.

Sorter 17.

18.

19.

20.

Assistant

Elections

Supervisor

21.

22 .
Elections 23 . Deliver ballots to Post Office with

Supervisor, bulk sailing sheet, and postage

Assistant check.

Elections

Supervisor,

and Elections

Technician

9
PROCESSING RETURNED VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOTS

Action Bv : Action:

Assistant 1 . Orders terminals to be installed at

Elections least one month prior to sending

Supervisor ballots, if there are not terminals

in Ballot Processing Room.

Central 2 . Installs required terminals at least

Services one day prior to sending ballots.

Elections 3 . Sets up tables in Ballot Processing

Technician Room at least one day prior to

checking signatures : One table for

sorting and counting, one table for

terminals, and one table for each

signature check station.

4. Removes voter registration card trays

from file.

5. Arranges trays of cards at each

signature check station.

Assistant 6 . Gathers materials for checking

Elections signatures:

Supervisor

Paper Clips

Post-It Note Pads

Extra Mail Trays

Red and Black Pens

Copies of Signature Check Task and

Criteria

/0
7.

8.

Sorter 9.

Signature

Checkers

10.

11.

12 .

Gathers other materials:

Daily and Cumulative Report Forms

Red and Black Pens

Form Letters for unsigned ballots

Blank Labels

Mailing Envelopes

Typewriter

Trains Signature Checkers.

Sorts ballots and delivers to

Signature Checkers when ballot

arrive.

Alphabetizes the ballots received.

Pulls voter registration card for

each ballot.

Compares signatures using Signature

Check Criteria . (See Appendix)

12A . If ballots do not meet criteria,

writes reason on post-it, and

places ballot with voter

registration card and post-it

note attached in designated

spot.

13 . Places approved ballots into mail

trays.

Creditor 14 . Gathers checked ballots from mail

trays.

15. Enters I .D . numbers into computer.

16. Places red slash through address

label.

//
17. Counts number credited for day and

notes number for following day.

18. Places credited ballots into locked

storage room:

19. Checks number listed on next day's

report with number counted.

19A . If numbers do not match, checks

ballots to make sure some did

not get credited.

Assistant 20 . Gathers problems ballots from

Elections signature check stations.

Supervisor

21. Prepares problem ballots and submits

to Canvassing Board . (See TSB-570)

22. Sets up ballot opening as needed.

(See PRO-670)

/.T
. JORTING AND COUNTING VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOTS

When vote-by-mail ballots arrive by mail, the Sorter:

1. Gathers ballots from ballot box in Auditor's

Office foyer each morning.

2. Separates mail ballots from undeliverable ballots.

3. Sorts ballots by district within categories and

counts each group.

4. Fills out daily and cumulative reports and

delivers copies to Election Supervisor and

Auditor.

5. Files original reports in appropriate file.

6. Sorts ballots by signature check station and

delivers ballots to each station.

7. Checks undeliverable ballots for addresses that

ballots can be resent to.

8. Types new labels for ballots to be resent.

9. Sends ballot out a second time.

/3
MEMO

TO : ELECTOR

FROM : KATHIE NEWGARD, ELECTION ADMINISTRATOR

RE : Problem With Ballot

Your ballot envelope has been received in the election office at the

Courthouse.

However, we have noted the problem as indicated:

Your envelope affidavit is not signed

The envelope does not contain the ballot

Your new signature does not match the one

recorded on your registration card

Your ballot cannot be counted without

the stub for identification

Other

Since your ballot cannot be counted without resolving the problem,

please either come in to the courthouse office, or call us to discuss

a solution . I know that you . intend to vote in such a way that your

ballot can be counted.

Your co-operation is appreciated in this matter before the election

day .
a)

Item 11

REPLACEMENT BALLOT REQUEST

I, , do hereby request a replacement ballot for the Mail Ballot Election to be held

, 19 _ in Lake County, Montana, for

the following reason : (check one)

( ) I did not receive the ballot mailed to me

The ballot mailed to me has been:

( ) spoiled ( ) damaged

( ) lost ( ) destroyed

I hereby certify, under penalty of law, that the above information

is true and correct, and that I understand attempting to vote more

than once in any election is a violation of Montana election law.

Signature

Address

The above-named individual has sworn to and subscribed before me

that the information is true and correct and shall be (has been)

issued a replacement ballot pursuant to Title 13, Chapter 19, MCA.

Signature of Issuing Officer

Position of Officer Issuing Oath

(If notary, include the following information :)

Notaty Public for the State of Montana

residing at , Montana.

My commissione expires

19
Item 12

COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, REMARKS LOG

OFFICE ERRORS AND/OR POSTAL ERRORS

Total

Did Not Receive Ballot

Lost Or Spoiled Ballot

Ballot Was Received Damaged

No Ballot In Envelope

Two Ballots In Envelope

Instructions/Pencil Missing

Secrecy Envelope Missing

Affidavit Envelope Missing

VOTERS NEEDING ASSISTANCE

COMPLAINTS

Voter Paying Postage

Lack of Ballot Secrecy

—

Whole Mail Ballot Concept

—

No Poll To Attend

COMMENTS :

15

Needed Help With Instructions

Registration Questions
Item 13

BALLOT SECURITY AND STORAGE

Ballots may begin to be received as early as 15 days prior to the

election . Standard security measures as in the normal absentee

ballot process will be followed.

These ballots will be logged and stored securely in a metal cabinet

located in the vault of the Auditor's Office.

Records will be kept as to who has access to any phase of the

operation and storage.

At the end of each working day all ballots received that day will

be logged and placed in storage.

Once the opening of ballots begins the exposed ballots are placed

in aluminum ballot boxes and sealed, than placed in security.

The boxes remain sealed until opening for the actual count.

9
Appendix 3

News Releases

Orange County, Florida

Item 1. Election notice

Item 2. Ballots mailed, English

and Spanish

Douglas County, Nebraska

Item 3. News release
Item 1

ELECTION MC/TICE

The City of Apopka will be conducting an all Mail Ballot Election

on September 14, 1993 to determine whether or not the City Charter

should be amended.

1. WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE? Only ACTIVE voters who live in the

city

2. WHAT is an ACTIVE VOTER?

One registered to vote by 5 PM on or before Monday,

August 16, 1993

One who has voted within the last two-year period

One who has told the Election Office of any changes

One who has not had any ELECTION OFFICE first class mail

returned to that office by the Post Office as undeliverable.

3. WHEN do you receive your ballot?

Between August 25, 1993 and September 4, 1993.

Mail ballots will NOT be forwarded.

Anyone who will be out of the area during the balloting

period may request an absentee ballot from the Supervisor of

Elections.

4. WHEN must the ballot be returned?

Must be delivered to the Supervisor of Elections by 7 PM on

September 14, 1993 (by mail or hand carried) . Ballots may be

hand carried to the Apopka City Clerk.

5. WHERE do you return your voted ballot?

Supervisor of Elections, 119 W . Haley Street, Orlando, or

delivered to the Apopka City Clerk, City Hall, 120 E . Main

Street

6. WHY didn't I receive a mail ballot?

• You may not be registered to vote in Orange County

• You may not be an ACTIVE voter

• Your address on file at the Election Office may not be in

the City of Apopka

• You may need to change your address with the Supervisor of

Elections

7 . HOW do I get a mail ballot if I do not receive one?

Call the Supervisor of Elections Office (836-2070) who will

determine:

• If you live in the city

• If the election office has the right mailing address.

• If you are an active registered voter

(If your voter registration status is "inactive"

you will need to make a written request for reinstatement).

8. WILL the polling places be open? NO!

9. Do I need to have my signature on the mail ballot envelope

witnessed? NO!
Item 2

BALLOTS NAILED FOR NAIL BALLOT ELECTION

On August25, 1993 ballots for the Special Mail Ballot

Election on September 14, 1993 were sailed to all active registered

voters in the City of Apopka.

If you live in the City and did NOT receive a mail ballot, contact

the Office of the Supervisor of Elections (836-2070) to determine

your eligibility.

English and Spanish

Publish

9-27
BOLETAS ENVIADAS PARA LA ELECCION A TRAVES DEL CORREO

En 25 de Agosto de 1993 las boletas electorates para La ElecciOn Especial A Travis

del Correo del 14 de Septiembre, 1993 fueron eviadas a todos los votadores activos y registrados

en la Ciudad de Apopka.

Si usted reside en la Ciudad y NO ha recibido una boles por coaeo, favor de comunicarse con el

Supervisor de Elecciones pare determinar su elegibilidad.
Item 3

NEWS RELEASE — JUNE 1, 1994

*******************************************************

**********

NOTICE is hereby given that a special election will be

held September 13, 1994 for the Sanitary and

Improvement Districts listed below.

The Douglas County Election Commissioner, Margaret A.

Jurgensen, has announced that the election for the

Board of Trustees in many Douglas County Sanitary and

Improvement Districts (SIDS) will be held Tuesday,

September 13, 1994 . People who wish to file for

trustee in their district may do so in person at the

Election Commissioner's office in the Hall of Justice.

Forms will also be available at the Northwest . Branch

office . Deadline for filing is Monday July 25, 1994,

by 5 :00-pm in the Election office in the courthouse as

well as the Northwest branch election office ..

In accordance with the provisions LB 587, ballots will

be mailed to the property owners in each Sanitary and

Improvement District scheduled for an election . They

will be mailed by August 24, 1994, and must be returned

and received by the Election Commissioners office no

later than Thursday, September 15, 1994 at 10 :00 am, to

be counted.

Contact the Chief Deputy Election Commissioner, Arlene

V . Steier, if you have questions regarding filing for

office or regarding the election process for SIDs .
T
Appendix 4

Ballot Materials

Voter Instructions

Item 1. Alpine County, CA

Item 2. Douglas County, NE

Item 3. Douglas County, NE, SID ballots

Item 4. Douglas County, WA

Item 5. Thurston County, WA

Envelopes

Item 6. Montana, prescribed formats for mail,

return, and secrecy envelopes

Item 7. Douglas County, WA, actual formats for

mail, return, and secrecy envelopes

Other

Item 8. Orange County, FL, mail ballot

Item 9. Lake of the Woods County, MN,

slim pencil on card

Item 10. Adams County, ND, application card

for mail ballot

Item 11. Thurston County, WA, voter poll
Item 1

Dear Voter:

Pursuant to Section 1005 of the California Elections Code, your precinct has been

declared an all-mail-ballot election precinct for the June 7, 1994 Direct Primary

Election.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR VOTING

Inside the gray secrecy envelope is your official absentee ballot . Also included is an

identification/return envelope to be used for the return of your voted ballot. POSTAGE IS

PREPAID.

PLEASE READ THE BALLOT INSTRUCTIONS ON THE GRAY ENVELOPE

CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING . When you have completed marking your ballot:

1. Remove stub from ballot card; return the ballot card to the gray secrecy envelope.

2. Place the gray secrecy envelope in the Identification/Return Envelope.

3. COMPLETE AND SIGN (at the red arrow) the Declaration on the back of the

Identification/Return Envelope.

REMEMBER.. .YOUR VOTE CANNOT BE COUNTED IF YOU NEGLECT TO

COMPLETE AND SIGN THE BACK OF THE I.D. ENVELOPE.

VOTED BALLOTS MUST BE RETURNED AS FOLLOWS ON OR BEFORE 8 :00

P.M. ELECTION DAY:

1. BY MAIL -- Return postage is 'provided.

2. BY PERSONALLY DELIVERING to the County Clerk's Office located in the County

Administrative Office Building, Markleeville,ON OR BEFORE 8 :00 P.M. ELECTION

DAY.*

*For those persons desiring to cast their vote on election day, please see the following

page.

**********EMpORTANT**********

If a voter becomes ill or disabled and unable to return the voted ballot they may designate a spouse,

child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother or sister to return the ballot . If this is the case, the

voter MUST designate the person returning the ballot and sign the back of the return envelope in the

specified area. The voter must also complete ALL portions of the return envelope.

PLEASE REMEMBER ...Third parties, unless specified above, arennt permitted to collect, mail or

deliver voted ballots.
VOTING ON ELECTION DAY

For those persons desiring to cast their vote on election day, the following

U.S. Postal Service collection boxes or neighborhood collection boxes

will be available for depositing of voted ballots . Pick-up, at the specified

boxes, will be at 8 :00 p.m. on election night (close of polls) by authorized

personnel for delivery to the Office of the County Clerk for processing and

tabulation.

1. Post Office, Markleeville . Post Office collection box is located in front

of building.

2. Sierra Pines, located on Hwy 89 between Markleeville and Woodfords.

Post Office collection box is located on porch area of Deli.

3. Alpine Village neighborhood collection box outgoing mail slot, located at

the comer of Highway 89 and Barber Road, across the highway from the

Woodfords Inn.

4. Woodfords Station, located at the intersection of Highways 89 and 88,

Woodfords. Post Office collection box is located at the entrance of the store.

5. Hope Valley Resort, Hope Valley . Post office collection box is located

at the entrance of the store.

6. Mesa Vista neighborhood collection box outgoing mail slot, located in

Mesa Vista Subdivision on Carson View Road.

7. Woodfords Indian Community neighborhood collection box outgoing

slot, located at the Community Center, Washoe Blvd.

8. Drop-box located upstairs at the Bear Valley Sheriffs Substation, Bear

Valley.

or

BY PERSONALLY DELIVERING to the County Clerk's office located

in the County Administrative Office Building, Markleeville, ON OR

BEFORE 8:00 P.M. ELECTION DAY.
q U .S . POSTAL .SERVICE COLLECTION

BOXES/NEIGHBORHOOD COLLECTION BOXES.

0 OTHER BALLOT DROP OFF LOCATIONS .
DIRECTIONS

For Sanitary & Improvement District Election by Mail
Item 3 BALLOT NO. I

RESIDENT PROPERTY OWNERS

SANITARY & IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

NO. 142
Item 4

VOTE-BY-MAIL ELECTION INSTRUCTIONS

Douglas County, Washington
REPLACEMENT BALLOTS : If your ballot is damaged, destroyed, or lost, a replacement

ballot may be obtained at the Douglas County Auditor's Office in Waterville until 8 :00 PM on

September 20, Election Day.

QUESTIONS: If you have any questions, call the Elections Dept. at 884-9403 or 745-8527.
ELECTION DAY AND VOTINNG'INFORMATION

VOTING WITH''MAIIAN BALLOTS :
REQUIRED UNDER 441.401, ADMINISTRATIVE RULES OF MONTANA

Item 6
ENVELOPE REQUIRED UNDER 44.9.402. ADMINISTRATIVE RULES OF MONTANA
ENVELOPE REQUIRED UNDER 44.9.402, ADMINLSTRATIVE RULES OF MONTANA
REQUIRED 44.9.403, ADMINISTRATIVE RULES OF MONTANA




DIRECTIONS TO VOTERS

After you have finished voting, your ballot

should be placed In this envelope.

Do not write or make any mark of Identification

on this envelope, otherwise the secrecy of your ballot

will be lost.

After the ballot has been sealed In this

envelope, place It In the mailing envelope

containing the printed affidavit and addressed

to your County Auditor.

CAUTION TO VOTERS

BE SURE TO MAIL

NO LATER THAN DAY OF ELECTION
Item 8

OFFICIAL BALLOT

CITY OF APOPKA, FLORIDA

REFERENDUM ELECTION

SEPTEMBER 14, 1993

REFORMA A LA CARTA

CONSTITUCIONAL DE LA CIUDAD:

PROPONIENDA UNA CARTA

CONSTITUCIONAL DE LA CIUDAD

REVISADA Y PUESTA AL DIA

Item 10

APPLICATION FOR MAIL BALLOT
Dear Voter,

The 1994 Primary Election will be conducted by mail, and your application form is attached . Please sign and return it immediately. Your

ballot will be sent to you along with instructions for voting . If you are a

resident of a CITY, please indicate on the card and you will receive a

ballot that provides for your City's election.

If, for some reason, you do not want to vote in this manner, one polling

place at the Adams County Courthouse will be open on Election day.

If you have family members, or friends, who are eligible to vote and

did not receive a card, please call us at 567-4363.

Thank you for your prompt response.

Betty Svihovec

Adams County Auditor
Item 11

Appendix 5

Statistical Information

About Local Jurisdictions
APPENDIX 5

STATISTICAL INFORMATION ABOUT LOCAL JURISDICTIONS

Total Number

Number of

Registered

Voting System

Used for

of Registered

Voters

Number of

Precincts

Voters per

Precinct

All-Mail-Ballot

Elections

ST/CO

California

Alpine 819 5 95—202 Datavote

San Diego 1,200,000 1,500 max 1000 Votomatic

Stanislaus 182,000 280 max 1000 punch card

Florida

Broward 661,580 597 5—3164 Votomatic

ave 1000

Collier NA NA NA NA

Orange 305,440 204 406—1966 IV-C

Santa Rosa 55,440 30 95—3237 Datavote

Kansas

Sedgwick 203,000 257 ave 800 paper

Minnesota

Carlton 17,130 37 NA optical scan

Kittson 3,395 37 16-472 paper

Lake of Woods 2,351 14 57—345 optical scan

Missouri

Adair 15,765 16 121—1974 paper or

Maries 5,596 10 191—1512

punch card

Opti-Scan

St. Charles 125,078 130 55—2100 ; punch card

ave 800—1000
STATISTICAL INFORMATION ABOUT LOCAL JURISDICTIONS (CONTINUED)

Total Number

Number of

Registered

Voting System

Used for

of Registered

Voters

Number of

Precincts

Voters per

Precinct

All-Mail-Ballot

Elections

ST/CO

Montana

Cascade 45,738 37 50—2900 paper

Fergis 7,656 15 NA paper

Lake 13,430 22 258—897 optical scan

Lincoln 10,500 24 120—1100 paper

Ravalli 20,000 18 237—2800 paper

Nebraska

Douglas 241,366 381 ave 633 paper

Nevada

Lander 2,840 7 72—594 Datavote

New Mexico

Chaves 23,000 51 53—825 Optech

Otero 20,545 40 25—1001 Optech

San Juan 39,085 83 varies Optech

North Dakota

Adams 1,8001 3 NA paper with

Renville 2,200' 5 2 NA

scanner pen

paper with

scanner 3

Washington

Cowlitz 42,000 92 ave 400—450 optical scan

Douglas 14,603 45 18—750 mark sense

Ferry 3,500 14 17—500 paper

Island 34,000 60 ave 490 punch card

San Juan 8,636 17 50—800+ optical scan

Thurston 106,000 262 2—600 punch card

Wahkiakum 2,226 11 100—308 paper
LOCAL JURISDICTIONS (CONTINUED)

First All-Mail Election

Signature Scanning

(Yes/No)

Bar Coding

(Yes/No)

Date Description

ST/CO

CA

Al

SD

St

N

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

1993

1981

1987

Countywide special

Citywide referendum

Ch.amend.& nonpart.cands

FL

Br

Co

Or

SR

Y

NA

Y

Y

OCR4

NA

Y

N

1991

1989

1993

NA

Spec.dist.tax referendum

Municipal annexation

City ch . revision refer.

City annex ., 18 voters

KS

Se N Y 1984 School bonds

MN

N

N

N

N

N

Y

1992

1988

1988

Township candidates

6 precincts, Prim & Gen

County liquor question

Ca

Ki

LW

MO

Ad

Ma

SC

N

N

N

N

N

N

1988

1993

1993

School levy

One issue, 83 voters

One issue, 50 voters

MT

Ca

Fe

La

Li

Ra

Y

N

N

N

NA

N

N

N

N

N

19945

1991

NA

19945

1985

Bond election, 50 voters

Nonpartisan candidates

Special districts

Special districts

Special dist. candidates
LOCAL JURISDICTIONS (CONTINUED)

First All-Mail Election

Signature Scanning

(Yes/No)

Bar Coding

(Yes/No)

Date Description

ST/CO

NE

Do Y 96 Y 95 1986 Special dist. candidates

NV

La N N 1993 Countywide hospital bonds

NM

Ch N N 1985 Special district fire tax

Ot N Y 1989 Countywide jail bonds

SJ N N 1990 Bond issue, museums

ND

Ad N Y 1994 Countywide

Re N N 1990 Countywide, state primary

WA

Co Y N 1994 Countywide primary

Do Y N 1991 Special, city candidates

Fe N N 1994 Countywide primary

Is N N 1994 Sch.dist.nonpart.cands.

SJ Y Y 95 1980's School election

Th Y N 1985 Special district issue

Wa N N 1994 Countywide primary
LOCAL JURISDICTIONS (CONTINUED)

Average Mail Election Cost of Mail Election

ST/CO

Voter

Turnout

Undeliverable

Ballots Returned

Total Per Vote

CA

AI Higher NA Lower NA

SD Higher 9.2% 25% lower in 1981 NA

St 45% 12% 50% lower

FL

Br Higher 8—10% Same NA

Co 40—75% NA

Or 26% 5% $7,611 .23 $4.83

SR NA NA NA NA

KS

Se 64—78% 2—16% NA $0.70

MN

Ca Higher? 5% Lower $1 .77

Ki Higher 2.7% $162 NA

LW 30% Up 3% $1,525.00 $1 .12

MO

Ad Higher NA Higher? NA

Ma Lower NA Much higher NA

SC 62—81% 8% Lower NA

MT

Ca 75% 19.3% Higher? NA

Fe 54—93% 0—30% 20% lower NA

La Higher NA Small-lower NA

Li Higher 0.5%

Large-higher

Lower NA

Ra 38+% 15—20% Small-lower $0.50

Large-higher
LOCAL JURISDICTIONS (CONTINUED)

Average Mail Election Cost of Mail Election

Voter

Turnout

Undeliverable

Ballots Returned

Total Per Vote

ST/CO

NE

Do 21% 5% NA NA

NV

La 59% 1 .6% Same NA

NM

Ch Higher? 5% Same NA

Ot Higher NA Same NA

SJ Higher 10% Same NA

ND

Ad Higher 06 Same NA

Re Higher 06 NA Lower

WA

Co Higher 5% Same Lower

Do 52% 14% Lower Lower!

Fe Higher 12% Same/lower NA

Is 56% 6—18% 10% less after 1st Lower

SJ Higher 9.4% Lower NA

Th Higher 15—20% 10% lower NA

Wa 72% NA Same NA

1 Estimate ; there is no voter registration.

2 Currently ; there were 12 precincts in the 1990 election.

The 1990 election was conducted with manually counted paper ballots .' Optical Character Recognition

5 Earlier all-mail elections may have been conducted.

6 Ballots are sent only to those requesting them.

Appendix 6

State Summary
APPENDIX 6

STATE SUMMARY

State Who May Receive 1st Mail Types of Elections that

All-Mail Ballots Election May be All-Mail

California registered voters 1977 Issues & nonpart . candidates, small entities,

if not with state prim. or general election

Colorado registered voters 1993 Any except part. candidates or with primary or

congressional vacancy election

Florida registered voters 1989 Local issues in single county ; no candidates

or with other elections

Kansas registered voters 1993 Local issues ; no candidates or with other elections

Minnesota eligible electors 1987 Any under 400 voters ; max 2 local issues in

other jurisdictions

Missouri registered voters 1988 Local issues for single political subdivision

Montana eligible electors 1985 Any, some jurisdictions and special local issue

elections in all

Nebraska property owners 1986 Sanitary & Industrial Development Districts

Nevada registered voters 1993 Only precincts under 200 voters, all elecs

New Mexico registered voters 1985 Only issues

North Dakota eligible electors 1990 Only primaries

Washington registered voters 1967 Any precinct under 200 voters ; others, nonpart.

only; 1994—96 all elecs
Appendix 7

Statistics: Turnout, Cost

Item 1. Kansas Mail Ballot Elections,

1983—1994

Item 2. Minnesota Mail Elections, 1987—1988

Item 3. Ravalli County, MT, Comparison of

Costs, Actual Polling Place Election

and Estimate of Mail Ballot Election,

11—8—83

Item 4. Lander County, NV, Cost Comparison

Between a Polling Place Election and

a Mail Ballot Election
ITEM 1

KANSAS MAIL BALLOT ELECTIONS, 1983—1994

RESULTS, TURNOUT, COST OF LOCAL BOND AND TAX ISSUES

Election Result # of Electors % Voter Turnout Total Cost

9—13—83 Passed 347 86 $ 482 .74

10—04—83 Passed 14,817 71 8,252 .85

12—06—83 Passed 6,744 71 4,000 .00

1—31—84 Passed 4,061 65 3,313 .18

2—07—84 Passed 5,625 77 4,062 .66

4—03—84 Failed 1,000 82 1,056.55

4—10—84 Passed 2,871 79 2,309.83

4—17—84 Failed 1,965 78 3,034.76

6—19—84 Failed 2,482 56 2,437.56

1—10—85 Failed 3,230 81 3,121 .22

1—22—85 Passed 5,636 75 4,679.05

1—30—85 Passed 7,016 67 5,954.71

1—31—85 Passed 6,556 73 5,531 .13

5—14—85 Passed 870 65 938.75

6—18—85 Passed 2,866 71 5,276.29

7—15—85 Passed 888 69 971 .52

7—30—85 Failed 5,733 86 8,218.73

7—30—85 Passed 158,771 70 92,779.25

10—08—85 Passed 2,166 69 2,684.91

10—15—85 Failed 4,231 88 3,219.24

10—30—85 Failed 5,241 83 4,045 .32

11—05—85 Passed 4,126 69 5,176.34

11—05-85 Passed' 585 68 819.27

11—12—85 Failed 2,650 80 3,665 .63

11—26—85 Passed 2,138 75 2,481 .86

12—10—85 Passed 9,253 63 8,511 .99
KANSAS MAIL BALLOT ELECTIONS (CONTINUED)

Election Result # of Electors % Voter Turnout Total Cost

1—28—86 Passed 2,474 83 1 .911 .60

2—18—86 Failed 24,275 66 18,587.19

2—25—86 Failed 1,334 74 1,448.74

3—20—86 Failed 5,947 95 5,152.00

3—25—86 Passed 2,571 60 1,887.16

3—25—86 Passed 5,048 69 5,468.05

4—10—86 Failed 149,731 63 81,300.26

4—08—86 Passed 13,128 64 9,131 .32

5—13—86 Passed 4,921 78 901 .70

5—13—86 Passed 1,072 72 5,006.50

5—20—86 Passed 2,920 65 1,591 .28

5—20—86 Passed 2,497 54 1,494.99

5—20—86 Failed 3,686 71 3,453.87

5—20—86 Failed 2,667 66 3,988.89

5—27—86 Failed 1,244 77 1,232.91

5—28—86 Failed 2,841 67 3,107.05

6—03—86 Failed 42,052 58 26,284.27

6—03—86 Failed 8,925 48 5,006.50

6—03—86 Passed 226 77 368.00

6—10—86 Passed 53 96 472.49

9—04—86 Passed 19,420 52 14,002.61

2—05—87 Passed 7,297 63 6,689.11

6—11—87 Passed 1,797 61 933.35

6—25—87 Failed 3,653 76 5,047.07

8—06—87 Passed 1,949 63 1,735.71

10—06—87 Passed 843 69 961 .31

10—20—87 Passed 3,348 79 2,787.51

10—27—87 Passed 3,123 76 2,812.00

11—12—87 Passed 4,466 74 4,019.53
KANSAS MAIL BALLOT ELECTIONS (CONTINUED)

Election Result # of Electors % Voter Turnout Total Cost

2-02-88 Passed 11,559 70 14,828.45

2-09-88 Failed 2,524 77 3,656 .92

2-16-88 Failed 1,373 75 1,373.48

3-08-88 Failed 9,654 73 9,752.35

3-22-88 Passed 1,113 98 4,520.24

3-24-88 Failed 4,489 59 2,505.75

4-05-88 Passed 831 69 4,821 .52

4-19-88 Failed 3,313 99 4,879 .98

6-10-88 Failed 1,853 68 2,035.00

1-26-89 Failed 9,208 64 11,635.00

2-24-89 Passed 1,242 77 1,591 .11

6-06-89 Passed 25,632 64 35,382 .80

6-06-89 Failed 1,732 80 2,247.49

6-20-89 Passed 4,919 68 6,104.17

10-26-89 Failed 4,066 77 4,886.11

10-26-89 Failed 1,321 79 2,419.58

10-31-89 Passed 5,353 76 5,176.34

11-09-89 Failed 147 64 560.88

12-05-89 Failed 147 64 560.88

1-30-90 Passed 8,140 71 5,500 .28

2-06-90 Passed 1,116 75 1,478.13

3-01-90 Passed 852 75 1,235.95

3-13-90 Failed 1,460 84 3,645.71

3-27-90 Failed 3,482 77 3,293.25

4-17-90 Failed 823 92 1,509.46

4-26-90 Passed 1,293 74 2,441 .38

5-07-90 Passed 482 89 1,154.17

5-17-90 Passed 4,093 80 3,601 .97

9-06-90 Passed 3,972 64 3,362.21
KANSAS MAIL BALLOT ELECTIONS (CONTINUED)

Election Result # of Electors % Voter Turnout Total Cost

4—10—91 Passed 67 79 502.73

7—09—91 Failed 21,368 69 21,335 .07

7—22—91 Passed 3,435 70 6,002 .33

8—27—91 Passed 118 95 576.50

10—29—91 Passed 2,095 70 3,298.81

11—05—91 Failed 833 85 896.51

11—05—91 Failed 3,078 81 3,187.08

2—04—92 Passed 1,573 65 2,690.14

2—11—92 Passed 1,832 85 1,689.00

4—28—92 Failed 1,778 90 3,368.93

5—21—92 Passed 264 78 724.53

9—22—92 Failed 15,391 76 15,247.93

1—26—93 Passed 929 73 1,737.77

1—26—93 Passed 2,114 71 2,767.94

1—28—93 Failed 12,457 70 17,997.02

2—02—93 Failed 1,403 77 2,343.55

2—02—93 Failed 1,150 84 1,113.87

2—04—93 Passed 1,573 65 2,690.14

6—02—93 Passed 187 80 626.15

6—08—93 Passed 2,770 77 3,638.03

6—08—93 Passed 1,265 78 2,022.91

6—10—93 Passed 4,185 69 3,780.94

7—13—93 Passed 35 80 446.05

7—14—93 Passed 35 83 483.50

7—20—93 Failed 15,909 59 12,687.17

8—02—93 Passed 6,494 62 8,808.82

8—03—93 Passed 176 70 764.73

8—03—93 Passed 51 73 407.94
KANSAS MAIL BALLOT ELECTIONS (CONTINUED)

Election Result # of Electors % Voter Turnout Total Cost

8—10—93 Passed 44 77 415.49

8—16—93 Passed 138 78 520.83

8—17—93 Passed 49 93 703.77

8—24—93 Failed 2,151 80 4,576.91

10—05—93 Passed 1,544 62 2,441 .75

10—05—93 Failed 9,809 53 7,207.30

10—08—93 Passed 70 59 490.08

10—21—93 Failed 129,955 69 84,245 .44

11—10—93 Passed 242 76 699.87

11—23—93 Passed 903 72 1,670.39

1—11—94 Failed 2,009 56 2,759.92

1—24—94 Passed 27,802 64 38,925

3—08—94 Passed 5,419 62 11,144.65

4—08—94 Passed 554 72 893.51

4—26—94 Passed 4,589 59 5,368.70

5—03—94 Passed 1,485 76 5,346.59

5—10—94 Passed 853 80 1,415.94

5—24—94 Failed 4,934 62 3,727.33

5—24—94 Failed 2,146 68 2,539.86

5—26—94 Passed 5,668 64.4 4,704.40

6—03—94 Passed 830 57 1,755.26

6—21—94 Passed 7,425 62 9,648.36

6—21—94 Failed 5,590 63.9 6.815.50

6—23—94 Failed 11,275 63.6 13,294 .32

9—08—94 Passed 2,034 65 5,380.80
ITEM 2

STATISTICS FROM MINNESOTA MAIL ELECTIONS, 1987-88

SIZE, UMDELIVERABLES, TURNOUT, STAFFING, COMPARATIVE COSTS

Luverne Glenwood Lake/Woods

9-1-87 5-24-88 6-13-88

Ballots

Eligible Voters (estimated) 3200 1850 1800

Ballots Mailed 2978 1526 1329

Undeliverable Ballots 568 255 93

Ballots Returned by Voter 1481 387 780

Voter Turnout 46% 21% 43%

Envelopes Rejected 11 43 25

Issue Passed/Failed Passed Passed Failed

Election Judges

Number Employed 8 6 3

Check Returned Envelopes 3.5 3.5 2 .0

Remove Ballots 1 .5 .5 .5

Open & Count Ballots 1 .0 1 .0 2 .0

Hours Employed 6.0 5.0 4.5

Total Costs

Salaries, materials, postage $1,999 $1,493 $1,525

Estimated costs for conventional special election $1,350 $1,300 $2,750
ITEM 3

COMPARISON OF COSTS, ACTUAL POLLING PLACE ELECTION AND

ESTIMATE FOR MAIL BALLOT ELECTION, RAVALLI COUNTY, MT,

NONPARTISAN GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION, 11-8-83

Hamilton Darby Stevensville

Polling Places

Judges $703.60 $191 .16 $246.20

Ballots 166.50 37.00 64.75

Advertising 11 .76 11 .76 11 .76

Ballot Stamps 9.00 6.00 6.00

Absentee Ballots 6.00 1 .20 2.10

Precinct Register 85 .25 15.20 37.35

Election Supplies 9 .75 6 .50 6.50

Polling Place Rental 25.00 40.00

TOTAL COST $991 .86 $294.42 $414.66

COST PER VOTE CAST $ 1 .88 $ 2.94 $ 5 .25

Total Registered Voters 1773 331 783

Voter Turnout 527 100 79

29.7% 30.2% 10.1%

Mail Ballots (Estimated)

Counting Crew $ 22.00 + $ 22.00 + $ 22.00

(4 x 5 hr x $3 .25)

Ballots 166.50 37.00 64 .75

Advertising 11 .76 11 .76 11 .76

Ballot Stamps 9.00 6.00 6.00

Absentee Ballots

Precinct Register

Election Supplies 1 .00 1 .00 1 .00

Polling Place Rental

Postage 301 .41 56.27 133.11

Printing Envelopes 312.00 69.00 162.00

TOTAL COST $823.67 $203.03 $400.62

COST PER VOTE $.66 .88 .73

Total Registered Voters 1773 331 783

Predicted Voter Turnout 1241 232 548

70% 70% 70%
ITEM 4

COST COMPARISON BETWEEN A POLLING PLACE ELECTION AND A

MAIL BALLOT ELECTION, LANDER COUNTY, NV

Polling Place

Special Election

7-14-1992

Mail Ballot

Special Hospital

Election 11-16-93

Election Board Workers $1,522.64 $1,027.42

Meals for Workers 188.72 36.48

Employees, Close of Regis .Hrs . 310.94 -2

Employees,Elec .Day Overtime 287.82 -2

Ballots & Election Supplies 939.00 2,772.44

Sample Ballot Paper 13.521

Postage 617.74 1,620.67

Publications 306.00 239.75

TOTAL COST $4,186.38 $5,696.76

'Sample ballots were prepared in-house, thereby cutting costs.

2 Employee pay not included; would have been comparable to regular election.

COST AND TURNOUT COMPARISON, POLLING PLACE AND MAIL ELECTIONS,

RENVILLE COUNTY, ND, PRIMARIES, 1986, 1988, 1990

Polling Places Mail Ballot

1986 1988 1990

Costs

Salaries $2547.33 $2511.81 $ 830.03

Canvassing Board 53.50 38.50 50.00

Travel 365.00 321 .23 228.75

Postage 11 .01 40.05 942.03

Publishing 1472.11 2058.97 2252 .19

Ballots 1943.61 1921 .64 782.94

Other 0.00 3 .24 1268.94

TOTAL $6392.56 $6895.44 $6354.88

PER VOTE $8.60 $8.22 $4.82

Ballots Cast 743 839 1319

Appendix 8

Sources
Appendix 8

Sources

California

John Mott-Smith, Elections Chief

Pam Giarrizzo, Elections Counsel

Elections Division,

Office of the Secretary of State

1500 11th Street

Sacramento, CA 95814

916/657-2166

Alpine County

Barbara K. Jones

Office of the County Clerk

P.O. Box 158

Markleeville, CA 96120

916/694-2281

San Diego County

Sally McKenna

Division Chief of Voter Services

5201 Ruffin Road, Suite I

San Diego, CA 96123

619/694-3410

Stanislaus County

Karen Mathews

County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voters

912 11th Street, Room 201

Modesto, CA 95354

209/558-5811

Colorado

Donetta Davidson, Elections Officer

Dana M. Nelson, Staff Assistant

Office of the Secretary of State

1560 Broadway, Suite 200

Denver, CO 80202

303/894-2680 (press #1)

Florida

Dorothy W. Joyce, Director

Division of Elections

Florida Department of State

1801 The Capitol

Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250

904/488-7690

Broward County

Joseph M. Cotter,

Assistant Supervisor of Elections

115 South Andrews Ave ., Rm. 102

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301

305/357-7082

Collier County

Mary Morgan, Supervisor of Elections

3301 Tamiami Trail East

Naples, FL 33962-4971

813/774-8450

Orange County

Betty Carter, Supervisor of Elections

Pat Keough, Election Coordinator

119 West Kaley St.

Orlando, FL 32806-3967

407/836-2070

Santa Rosa County

Jo Hutcherson,

Assistant Supervisor of Elections

for P. Douglas Wilkes, Jr.,

Supervisor of Elections

801 Caroline Street, S.E ., Suite L

Milton, FL 32570-4978

904/983-1023

Kansas

Randy Foster, Elections Cartographer

Secretary of State's Office

2nd Floor, State Capitol

Topeka, KS 66612-1594

913/296-4561

Sedgwick County

Marilyn K. Chapman,

Commissioner of Elections

510 N. Main

Wichita, KS 67203

316/383-7101

Minnesota

Joseph Mansky, Director

Election Division

Secretary of State

180 State Office Building

St. Paul, MN 55155

612/296-2805
Carlton County

Paul G. Gassert, County Auditor/Treasurer

205 Courthouse

P.O. Box 130

Carlton, MN 55718-010

218/384-9127

Kittson County

Marilyn Gustafson, County Auditor

Courthouse

Box 848

Hallock, MN 56728

218/843-2655

Lake of the Woods County

Ellen J. Larson, County Auditor

P.O . Box 808

Boudette, MN 56623

218/634-2836

Missouri

Shelly Brown, Administrative Assistant

Elections

Office of the Secretary of State

P.O. Box 778

Jefferson City, MO 65101

314/751-2301

Adair County

Joan Elmore, County Clerk

Courthouse

Kirksville, MO 63501

816/665-3350

Maries County

Rhonda Brewer, County Clerk

County Courthouse

P.O. Box 167

Vienna, MO 65582

314/422-3388

St. Charles County

Jim Primm, County Clerk

Ruth Miller,

Accounting Clerk of Election Department

201 North 2nd Street

St. Charles, MO 63301

314/949-7550

Montana

Angela Fultz, Elections Director

Secretary of State's Office

P.O. Box 202801

Helena, MT 59620-2801

406/444-5376

Cascade County

Jean Harrison,

Deputy Clerk in Election Department

P.O. Box 2305

Great Falls, MT 59405

406/453-1331

Fergus County

Debbie L. Pallett, Clerk & Recorder

712 West Main Street

Lewistown, MT 59457

406/538-5242

Lake County

Kathie Newgard, Election Administrator

106 Fourth Avenue East

Polson, MT 59860-2174

406/883-7268

Lincoln County

Coral M. Cummings, Clerk & Recorder

Leigh Mills, Elections Clerk

512 California

Libby, MT 59923

406/293-7781 x200

Ravalli County

Betty Lund, County Clerk & Recorder

Courthouse, Box 5002

Hamilton, MT 59840

406/363-6345

Nebraska

Douglas County

Margaret A. Jurgensen, Election Commissioner

Hall of Justice, Room 110

Omaha, NE 68183

402/444-7142
Nevada

Sue Merriwether,

Deputy Assistant for Elections

Office of the Secretary of State

Capitol Complex

Carson City, NV 89710

702/687-3176

Land r County

Laurie Pluemer, Deputy County Clerk

315 S. Humboldt Street

Battle Mountain, NV 89820

702/635-5738

New Mexico

Sherry L. Mascarenas,

Voting Machine Technician

Office of the Secretary of State

State Capitol Building, Room 420

Santa Fe, NM 87503

505/827-3600

Chaves County

Rhoda C. Goodlbe, County Clerk

P.O. Box 580

Roswell, NM 88202

505/624-6614

Otero County

Denise Y. Guerra

Mary D. Quintana, County Clerk

1000 New York Ave., Rm. 108

Alamogordo, NM 88310-6932

505/437-4942

San Juan County

Debbie Holmes, Election Supervisor

County Clerk's Office

112 S. Mesa Verde Ave.

P.O. Box 550

Aztec, NM 87410

505/334-9471

North Dakota

Tom Mattern, Elections Administrator

Lee Ann Oliver, Elections Assistant

Office of the Secretary of State

600 East Boulevard Avenue

Bismarck, ND 58505-0500

701/328-4146

Adams County

Betty Svihovec, County Auditor

P.O. Box 589

Hettinger, ND 58639

701/567-4363

Renville County

Susan Ritter, County Auditor

P.O. Box 68

Mohall, ND 58761

701/756-6301

Washington

Gary McIntosh, Director of Elections

Office of the Secretary of State

Legislative Building

P.O. Box 40229

Olympia, WA 98504-0229

360/753-2336

Dean Logan, Elections Program Coordinator

Office of the Secretary of State

120 E. Union Avenue

P.O. Box 40232

Olympia, WA 98504-0232

360/664-2336

Cowlitz County

Darlene DeRosier, County Auditor

Kristina Swanson, Elections Section

County Administration Building

207 Fourth Avenue North

Kelso, WA 98626

360/577-3005
Douglas County

John Mullinax, Supervisor of Elections

213 South Rainier

P.O. Box 456

Waterville, WA 98858

509/884-9403

Ferry County

Dorothy M. Ferguson, County Auditor

350 East Delaware

P.O. Box 498

Republic, WA 99166

509/775-5201

Island County

Art Hyland, County Auditor

NE 6th and Main St.

P.O. Box 5000

Coupeville, WA 98239-5000

360/679-7366

San Juan County

Tari Runyan, Elections Supervisor

P.O. Box 638

Friday Harbor, WA 98250

206/378-3357

Thurston County

Sam Reed, County Auditor

Kim Wyman, Elections Manager

Sheryl Moss, Assistant Elections Manager

2000 Lakeridge Drive SW

Olympia, WA 98502

360/786-5408

Wahkiakum County

Diane L. Tischer, County Auditor

64 Main St.

P.O. Box 543

Cathlamet, WA 98612

206/795-3219

* U.B. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1995 - 400 - 278 I 40274


For information about other

Innovations in Election Administration

contact

National Clearinghouse on Election Administration

Federal Election Commission

999 E. Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20463

Toll Free 800/424-9530

Direct 202/219-3670

FAX 202/219-8500

Cut Here

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FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20463

Official Business

Penalty for Private

Use, $300

Bulk Rate Mail

Postage and Fees Paid

Federal Election Commission

Permit Number G-31