Process Returned Ballots

The processing of mail ballot returned envelopes updates voter records to indicate ballots were received and either accepted or rejected. With Voter Focus, you scan the ABBM, process the ABBM, and scan the returned envelope. These processes index the images of the ABBM and returned envelope signatures to the voter's record.

The Return Ballots Queue is used to compare the signature image(s) from the voter’s record (such as the voter’s ABBM signature) to the signature on the voter’s mail ballot returned envelope to verify they are legible and are for the same voter. A Signature Verification Committee (SVC) may be appointed for any election to perform this comparison.

Beyond the comparison, the Return Ballots Queue can be used in multiple ways, depending on several factors.

  • Does your county use a separate preliminary task of comparing or matching up the signatures instead of using the Return Ballots Queue for this purpose?
    • Yes. Enable Allow Bulk Returns in Return Ballots Queue on the System Options > Ballot By Mail tab. This allows your county to select multiple records in the queue for bulk acceptance. This method assumes the records that are selected for acceptance are already confirmed valid.
    • No. From the queue, double-click one record at a time to compare each voter's pair of signatures side-by-side and make a determination about accepting the ballot.
  • Does your county delegate ballot rejections to an Early Voting Ballot Board (EVBB) judge?
    • Yes. Verify Allow Rejection in Return Ballots Queue is not selected on the System Options > Ballot By Mail tab. Your county will then route ballots with questionable or mismatching signatures to the Ballot Judge Queue for final determination.
    • No. Enable Allow Rejection in Return Ballots Queue on the System Options > Ballot By Mail tab. Your county will then be able to reject ballots from the Return Ballots Queue and the Ballot Judge Queue will be hidden.

    The available options depend on what's set on the System Options > Ballot By Mail tab:

    Returned Ballots Queue Dialog 
    Dialog lists the batches containing the signature images. For each batch, the voter ID, voter name, and election details are shown.
    System OptionsDialog
    Allow Bulk Returns in Return Ballots Queue and Allow Rejection in Return Ballots Queue not selected
    Allow Bulk Returns in Return Ballots Queue and Allow Rejection in Return Ballots Queue selected
    Return Ballot Dialog 
    Double-click a row in the queue to open the Return Ballot dialog. An SVC member or a county staff member can compare the scanned signatures from the voter's record and ballot envelope signature side by side.
    System OptionsDialog
    Allow Rejection in Return Ballots Queue not selected
    Allow Rejection in Return Ballots Queue selected

  1. Go to Ballot By Mail > Return Ballots Queue to open the Returned Ballots Queue dialog. This dialog lists the batches containing the signature images. For each batch, the voter ID, voter name, and election details are shown.

  2. On the Returned Ballots Queue dialog, you can use the following to locate the row containing the batch to process:

    • The filters above the grid to narrow the items that are listed.
    • The arrows at the bottom of the dialog to navigate between pages.

  3. Select the row of the voter whose signature you want to compare and click Select Image. The Return Ballot dialog displays the first scanned signature from the voter's record and the ballot envelope signature, allowing an SVC member to compare the signatures side by side.

    4. Note: If the image was opened by another user, the image remains locked for one hour. In this case, you receive a locked notification with the date and time the image will be unlocked.

  4. Compare the signatures. You can do the following:
    • Double-click in the sVoter Signature or the Ballot Signature box to view the entire image or re-capture either signature if not clipped correctly.

    • If more than one signature image exists in the system for the voter, scroll through the images in the Voters Signature box using the right and left arrows.
  5. Click one of the following:
    • Accept. If you are certain the signatures are those of the same voter, click Accept. This records the ballot as accepted in voting history, indexes the images to the voter's record, and removes the row from the Return Ballots Queue.
      • Note: The Accept button is not available when certain errors are produced. See About Return Ballot Validation for more information.
    • Question. (This option displays when Allow Rejection in Return Ballots Queue is not selected in System Options > Ballot By Mail.) If the signatures do not match or if you are uncertain they match, click Question. This moves the row from the Return Ballots Queue to the Ballot Judge Queue. Ballot judges review this queue for final determination on ballot acceptance.
    • Reject or Defect. (This option displays when Allow Rejection in Return Ballots Queue is selected in System Options > Ballot By Mail.) The button label changes from Reject to Defect when a defect reason is selected. If the signatures do not match:
      1. Select a value from the Rejection / Defect Reason list. See About Returned Ballot Rejections for more information about reasons and rejections.
      2. Click Reject or Defect to disqualify the ballot.
      3. Click OK.

      The following occurs:

      • The record is removed from the queue.
      • The Voter Activity Date is updated to the current date and displayed on the Activity tab in Voter Maintenance.
      • A new row is added to the Ballot By Mail tab in Voter Maintenance indicating the ballot was rejected.
      • The Absentee Reject Letter or Absentee Defect Letter, including the reason, is scheduled to be sent to the voter.
Note: For ballots that are associated with a political party, whether the ballot is accepted or rejected, once the ballot is recorded, the party for that voter cannot be changed for the remainder of elections during the calendar year. Party affiliations can be cleared at the end of every calendar year in List Maintenance > List Maintenance Tasks.
  1. Go to Ballot By Mail > Return Ballots Queue to open the Returned Ballots Queue dialog. This dialog lists the batches containing the signature images. For each batch, the voter ID, voter name, and election details are shown.

  2. Select the check box in the column header to select all records and on all pages, if multiple pages exist or select specific records in the queue.
  3. Click one of the following:
    • Bulk Accept. A new dialog displays the validation progress of each selected row. Each record that completes validation displays in the grid. An error message is entered for each record that fails validation.
      • Note: The Accept button is not available when certain errors are produced. See About Return Ballot Validation for more information.

      When all records are validated, you are prompted to continue:

      • Click Yes to record all ballots that were successfully validated without errors as accepted in voting history, index the images to the voters' records, and remove the rows from the Return Ballots Queue. Ballots that failed validation are not processed and remain in queue.
      • Click No to abandon acceptance and return to the Return Ballots Queue. No records are processed and all records remain in queue.

    • Bulk Reject. A new dialog displays each processed record in a grid. When all records are validated, you are prompted to continue:
      • Select a reason from the Reject Reason list and click Yes to:
        • Remove the records from the queue.
        • Update the Voter Activity Date to the current date and display it on the Activity tab in Voter Maintenance.
        • Add a new row to the Ballot By Mail tab in Voter Maintenance indicating the ballot was rejected.
        • Schedule the Absentee Reject Letter, including the rejection reason, to send to the voter.
      • Click No to abandon rejection and return to the Return Ballots Queue. No records are processed and all records remain in queue.

To undo the acceptance of a ballot for a voter, go to Voter Maintenance > {voter} > Ballot By Mail tab > {election} > Ballot By Mail Adjustments and click Reverse Return of Ballot. The ballot is routed back to the queue for processing.