Improving Workflow, Security & Accountability in VBM

For many states, the voting process is shifting from in-person polling stations to absentee and vote-by-mail balloting. Voting by mail is increasing in popularity because it eliminates overcrowding at polling places, increases voter participation, improves ballot security, and creates a digital audit trail for transparency.

Additionally, when you add automation to the vote-by- mail process, it can provide significant cost savings for election officials and minimize the potential for errors.
Security and accountability have never been more important to the voting process than now. State and county election organizations need to oversee the entire process of delivering mail ballots to voters.

This includes from when ballots are printed, inserted into envelopes, addressed and delivered, to when they are received by the county for return ballot acceptance, signature verification, and sorting by district or batch level for counting purposes.

One of the largest counties in the United States, Orange County in California employed “Amazon-like” processing for secure inbound and outbound tracking of mail ballots. The solution includes detailed audit trails of mail ballots as they leave the county facility, arrive at USPS, and return to the facility.

With automation comes savings. Orange County is realizing a significant return-on investment with its mail voting system as a result of less manual processing, fewer human errors, and reduced facility space needed to process large volumes of mail ballots.

One key to the operation’s success has been extending automation to other processes, such as adding sorter tray rack systems to help remove the mail from the sort bins. This can further improve workflow and minimize worker fatigue driving additional efficiencies and savings. Mail Automation Incorporated (MAI) provides Tray Rack Systems that help operators efficiently sweep the mail from the sorter bins when they are full.

MAI is a full-service Systems Integrator with customized mail tray rack systems as well as automated tray processing conveyor solutions. For details call 844-808-5454 or visit www.MailAutomationInc.com.