Ballot Drop Box Tracking System

About the Program

Category: Information Technology (Best in Category)

Year: 2022

In 2021, the Alameda County Registrar of Voters (ROV) conducted four (4) elections. Due to the pandemic, the state mandated that all voters receive a mail-in ballot. This change necessitated several system changes to ensure voting was simple and clear for voters. They could return their ballots via the US Mail, or by bringing them to one of the 100 Accessible Voting Locations (AVL) at election time, or by dropping the ballots into one of 66 ballot drop boxes. To ensure security measures were enforced for the 66 ballot drop boxes, ROV partnered with Information Technology Department (ITD) to develop a new Ballot Drop Box Tracking System. ROV’s Asset Tracking System was enhanced as well to track the ballot drop box keys, opening and closing of the ballot drop boxes, and delivery of bags with ballots to the ROV office. Technology-driven chain of custody procedures provided security, efficiency, and transparency during the election. The ballot drop box map was published on the official website. The new and enhanced systems were successfully implemented in 2021. The ballot collections ran smoothly with greater accountability and effective oversight allowing all the dropbox bags to be delivered to the central location securely and timely.