Feature Focus: the All-New Paper Ballots

Paper Ballots + an Online Voting Platform = Inclusivity for All!

There is a fundamental issue with offering an exclusively electronic voting platform. Not all people are adept at using electronics. In fact, some people don’t even have email addresses! We have always had workarounds (an indirect way of accomplishing a task) for these cases. But, we have now eliminated the need for a workaround. Why print a copy of the webpage, or make a paper ballot yourself? Simply get ElectionBuddy to handle it for you. ElectionBuddy now creates, and can even distribute, paper ballots. Reach all of your voters!

A Quick ElectionBuddy Paper Ballot Rundown

PAPER BALLOTS ACCOMPANY NOTICES:

Remember ElectionBuddy’s different notice types? The physical ballots are an accompaniment to the two physical notice forms we offer — printed notices and postal notices. The ballots that you distribute are “Printed”, and accompany a Printed Notice. Similarly, the ballots that ElectionBuddy distributes for you are “Postal”, and would include a Postal Notice. You set them up alongside the notices on the “Notice” stage of your election setup.

YOU CAN PRINT JUST ONE BALLOT FOR THE SINGLE VOTER ON YOUR LIST WITHOUT COMPUTER ACCESS:

It’s so easy. You simply set up your election the way you like. Then, when your election is running, you select that voter and print their ballot from their “Actions” menu.

VOTE ONLINE OR VIA PAPER BALLOTS, BUT STILL ONLY VOTE ONCE:

Just like each electronic ballot, each paper ballot has unique access key for each voter. But, the access key for a specific voter is the same, no matter the ballot format.  And, just like the electronic ballot, that access key is single-use. One ballot submission per access key. If a voter votes electronically, and then sends back a paper ballot, the paper ballot cannot be submitted. The opposite is equally true! So, an electronic vote cannot be cast when a paper ballot has been submitted for the voter.

SAVE YOURSELF SOME MONEY ON POSTAGE:

You mail the ballot to the voter. Then, the voter votes and mails their choices back. Don’t pay to mail the entire ballot twice. Instead, set up your ballots using ElectionBuddy’s “Include tear-off portion” feature. This way, your voters mail back just one piece of paper with all their choices. It makes return postage cheaper!

WE’VE CREATED DOCUMENTATION TO MAKE SETUP SIMPLE:

You have to know how to use the feature to enjoy it. So, we created help articles to get you through every step. We’ve even tested their helpfulness, and our testers told us they pass. Get step-by-step instructions at http://support.electionbuddy.com.

WE ARE HUNGRY FOR FEEDBACK:

Because the feature is brand-new and unlike anything else we’ve done before, we need your help. We created paper ballots for you, so your feedback is vital! If there are changes that need to be made, we need to know! Reach us at support@electionbuddy.com.