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Ballot Building

Helping America Vote

About the Quick Start Guides: The EAC's Quick Start Guides are intended to familiarize local election officials with various topics

they will likely encounter in election administration. The guides are a starting point to identify areas of concern and give officials a

broad idea of factors they should consider in approaching a given topic.

What is Ballot Building?

Ballot building, or ballot production, is the act of designing, creating, and producing official ballots. Each ballot requires precise data,

which must be thoroughly proofed for accuracy, and must contain certain design elements that help voters understand how to mark

their ballot. These elements may include voting instructions, section headings, and contest placement. Once digital images of the

ballots have been produced, paper ballots must be printed to the correct specifications to be properly read by a ballot scanner. It is

crucial to test ballots thoroughly at every step of production. Is the data on the ballot accurate? Does the design meet all legal

requirements? Does the tabulation equipment recognize the ballot? An accurate, well-designed ballot is essential to a successful

election. 

Ballot Data

Gather all official documentation of data that must be included on the ballot. This includes any contests that

must be included in the election, candidate filing affidavits, official ballot language for ballot questions, and any

reports showing precisely which contests should appear on each ballot style. 

Review any voting system documentation before entering ballot data. Be sure to double-check any system

settings that change from election to election, including any voting rules that vary by election type. These may

include primary election rules that do not apply to general elections. 

Proof all ballots thoroughly. Compare all ballot text to original documents (e.g., not candidate listings), and read

all ballot text thoroughly to check for omissions or spelling errors. 

Develop procedures for recording the audio ballot for accessible marking devices. Listen to all candidates’

names and contests to ensure that the pronunciations are correct. In addition, jurisdictions offering ballots in

languages other than English should develop procedures for reviewing the pronunciation of all ballot text in the

alternate language(s).

Reproof ballots after changes or corrections are made. Be aware that any change made to the paper ballot

also requires changing the data for voting equipment.

Ballot Design

Review state laws and administrative procedures related to ballot design

and ballot marking instructions. Remember to include specific

instructions, if required, for accessible voting devices. 

Confirm that ballots meet all applicable state laws relating to contest

order, party order, order or rotation of candidates’ names, placement and

wording of contest headers, font size, and any other design elements.

Ensure that ballot target areas are located clearly next to each

candidate's name and that all target areas are free of any folding lines,

timing marks, and other ballot text or images. If ballots are double-sided,

ensure target areas do not overlap with those on the opposite side of the

page. 

Require that several people proof all ballots at each stage of the design

and production processes—during initial data entry, when the preliminary

proofs are available, and when printed ballots are delivered. In addition,

proof each ballot style on all ballot scanners and accessible voting

devices. 

Top Tips for Ballot Proofing

Read all text on the ballot backwards.

Proof ballots to original documents,

like official candidate filings.

Ensure that all office titles and district

names are spelled correctly.

Verify all offices are assigned to the

correct districts, precincts, or ballot

styles, and they are listed in the

proper order.

Verify candidate names are rotating

properly (when applicable), and that

political parties are listed in the

correct order.

May 1, 2022 v. 1.0 1 EAC | Helping America Vote

eac.gov clearinghouse@eac.gov @EACgov @eacgov1 @us.eac
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Ballot Building

Ballot Printing

Use vendor-certified or prequalified printing companies. Printing contracts should include details about paper

stock quality and weight, ink density, and other printing specifications. Ask print vendors to provide a copy of

their internal quality control procedures. Poor-quality ink may cause ballots not to be read by scanning

equipment. Paper stock that is of the wrong weight or grain direction may cause ballot scanners to jam. 

Ensure official ballots have been properly printed and that the ink and paper quality pass inspection

immediately upon delivery. To ensure that all ballots have been properly printed, inspect several ballots from

different ballot styles, checking the overall quality of the selected ballots. (Note: accessible voting devices and

ballot-on-demand systems may require additional testing procedures.)

Store ballots in a cool, dry environment to prevent the ballot stock from absorbing moisture from the air.

Ballots stored in humid conditions may swell, causing tabulation errors on some ballot scanners. 

Pre-Election Logic and Accuracy Testing 

Logic and accuracy testing is a vital part of preparing for every election. Most states have legal or procedural

requirements for testing election equipment before each election. These procedures vary by state but

commonly include:

Verifying all ballots can be read by ballot tabulators.

Verifying digital media has the correct data.

Verifying all voting equipment, including accessible devices, is in proper working order. 

Verifying test results are accurate and match a predetermined set of results based on the chosen vote

pattern.

Once ballots are printed, it is important to conduct proper testing using preprinted ballots (if applicable) to

ensure they were properly printed and will be counted accurately. For jurisdictions that use a preprinted test

deck, hand-marked ballots with a variety of marks should also be included to test the responsiveness of the

tabulator. If possible, ballots should only be delivered to voters after testing has been completed.

Logic and accuracy tests assure the public that the equipment they use to cast ballots will count their votes as

intended. States should encourage public viewing of logic and accuracy testing and reporting of test results. 

Contingency Planning

B

Plan

If allowable by law, order more ballots than you think you need. Voter registration activity typically increases

after ballots must be ordered, so be sure to adjust any ballot orders to reflect an anticipated increase in the

total number of registered voters in your community. 

Ensure accessible voting devices have proper battery backup or a Universal Power Supply (UPS) that will

allow voters to mark and print ballots in the case of a power outage.

Make a plan for delivering official ballots to military and overseas voters at least 45 days before each

election. While many of these ballots are sent electronically, make sure that official ballots are available for

UOCAVA voters who request a paper ballot be sent by mail.

Assess the total number of paper ballots on hand throughout the election cycle. If more ballots have been

sent by mail than anticipated, it may be necessary to print additional ballots. Check with your print vendor to

ensure that additional ballots can be printed after the initial order, and make sure that if additional ballots are

ordered, they will arrive in time. Additionally, identify local print shops or in-house printing capabilities that

can be used to produce additional official ballots in the case of an emergency. 

May 1, 2022 v. 1.0 2 EAC | Helping America Vote

eac.gov clearinghouse@eac.gov @EACgov @eacgov1 @us.eac