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Quick

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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.

Utilizing Drop Boxes 

In jurisdictions that permit ballot drop boxes, election officials must address several considerations before

deploying drop boxes. First, they must familiarize themselves with state law and regulatory requirements. Some

states only permit drop boxes in certain locations or with specific security measures. Drop boxes also come with

additional costs, including staff to empty the boxes daily, hardware, security seals and locks, ballot containers, and

other security equipment. 

Locations

Follow state statutes on required or permissible locations for the installation

of drop boxes.

Use demographic data to determine whether there should be a different

formula for placing drop boxes in rural or urban locations (i.e., 1 for every

15,000 residents might be every mile in an urban area, but every 50 miles in

a rural area). 

Choose a location that is accessible by public transportation (where

available).

Avoid locations that can be obstructed by high traffic events.

Ensure the drop box is clearly visible and the path to it is accessible with a

30 inch by 48 inch minimum clear and level ground space in front. 

Publish Public Service Announcements on radio and in local newspapers,

and share drop box locations on social media.

Provide a list or map of drop box locations on your website and with mail

ballot voting instructions.

Ballot Return Deadline

Election officials must ensure

teams are present at each

drop box as the ballot return

deadline passes. Teams

must allow any voters in line

by the deadline to deposit

their ballots, then collect all

ballots, and lock the box so

no additional ballots can be

deposited.

Security

Teams of two (preferably bipartisan) should empty each drop box at least once a day.

Utilize unique locks and security seals to secure ballots within the drop box.

Provide local law enforcement a map of drop box locations and request extra patrols.

Ensure the area is well lit and any unsupervised drop boxes have video surveillance.

Implement rigorous chain of custody procedures. For each drop box, teams should record the time and date

emptied, verify the box's seal number, document the number of ballots retrieved, reseal the drop box, and

seal the ballot container.

Track the return of drop boxes after the ballot return deadline passes to ensure all drop boxes are emptied

and ballots collected are included in election night unofficial results.

Sample Drop Box

Chain of Custody Log

Date & Time Removed Seal # # Ballots New Seal # Signatures

10/31/22 3:25pm 00987654 174 00123456 Team Member One

Team Member Two

11/01/22 3:15pm 00123456 88 00456789 Team Member One

Team Member Two

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

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