Secure ballot management
Managing ballots with high integrity is at the core of election officials’ work because ballots express the will of voters. From ballot creation to audits of processes and results, election officials ensure the accuracy and security of ballots. The approach to achieving standards will vary between states based on what is permissible, but all election officials prioritize managing ballots with high integrity. This is one of four standards that define excellence in ballots and audits. This draft standard will be updated based on feedback from the election community.
Standard
Your office protects ballot security from printing to storage using comprehensive ballot management processes. To achieve this standard:
- You have documented ballot management procedures for ballot organization, ballot accounting, ballot reconciliation, and chain of custody.
- You routinely train election staff on ballot management procedures.
- You organize your ballots in an orderly manner that promotes accuracy.
- You consistently account for ballots during each stage of the ballot lifecycle, documenting ballot totals and reviewing for accuracy.
- You reconcile the number of ballots with the number of voters and provide an explanation if numbers do not match.
- You store ballots in a secure space that only authorized personnel can access.
- You implement security strategies during ballot management processes to protect ballots from tampering.
- You have a process for reviewing completed ballot management forms for full completion and accuracy; your process requires different individuals to review than those who initially completed the forms.
- You build public understanding of ballot management processes.
Why this standard matters
It is important that we are explicit about the underlying why for each standard. While not attached to measurements, the intended impact of an election department achieving this standard is that:
- Staff and poll workers will easily follow critical security measures for ballot management because of well-documented procedures.
- Election offices will have secure ballot management processes to detect and deter tampering.
- Voters will trust their ballot has been securely handled and accurately counted, which strengthens their confidence in the integrity of the voting process and election results.