Sort the mail-in ballot envelopes, or don’t? | Andrew Appel/Freedom to Tinker
In the first of a four article series, Andrew Appel discusses the handling of mail-in ballot envelopes by local election officials and its impact on the cost of recounts and the security of elections. The two methods discussed are “sort-then-scan” and “scan-then-sort”. In the sort-then-scan method, ballot envelopes are sorted by precinct number before opening and scanning the paper ballots. This method helps prevent cheating and makes recounts easier and less expensive. In contrast, the scan-then-sort method involves opening and scanning unsorted envelopes, which poses opportunities for cheating, leads to costly recounts, and requires additional expenses in ballot printing. Appel highlights the importance of adopting the sort-then-scan method to ensure the integrity and efficiency of mail-in voting processes.
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