Internal Savings in Difficult Times

About the Program

Category: County Administration and Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

The Internal Program seeks to find new and innovative ways to provide election services while increasing the cost effectiveness of elections. Three main projects were implemented in the past year. Online Training allows volunteer poll workers to prepare for their key role at poll sites on Election Day on their own schedule in the comfort of their own home. In addition, Online Training reduces the need to training classes and their associated labor, supply, equipment, and transportation costs. Supply conveyors change how supplies are processed on Election Night as they return from the polls. Instead of a ten day process to sort and account for Election Day supplies, the supplies are sorted on Election Night, equating to both a time and cost savings. Vote-by-Mail Extractors open envelopes and remove the voted ballots, which was previously done manually. The number of people needed to open and process paper ballots is reduced from 200 to 24 by the Vote-by-Mail Extractors. Both the Supply Conveyors and Vote-by-Mail Extractors reduce the time of Registrar of Voters takes to certify an election. This allows the public to better participate in elections, as well as provides final election results that facilitate effective government and policy making.