Since Election Day many voters throughout Ventura County share the same question “Why is it taking so long to finish counting the ballots?” I too had this question and decided to visit the Elections office to see the process for myself. Many might envision a process where ballots are simply put in a machine, quickly counted and results reported. In reality it’s just not that simple. As of the print deadline the counting continues. In Ventura County there are 423,994 registered voters, with 124,423 voters actually going to the polls, and no final count on total ballots cast.

Any member of the public can get a visitors badge and take a tour to observe the process of counting ballots. The Elections Division is part of the office of Mark Lunn, County Clerk and Recorder, located in the lower level of the Government Center on Victoria Avenue in Ventura. There are a few rules, no cell phones, no talking with any elections workers, no cameras and no food or drink around the ballots or machines, and there are three areas that the public is not allowed to enter but that can be viewed through windows. In my opinion it’s a very visible process and I encourage anyone who is interested to check it out. Visitors are also likely to gain an appreciation for those carrying out the tedious but important task of processing the ballots. Many are working long hours (8:00am to 7:00pm) and coming in on Saturdays to get the counting done.

The Journey of a Ballot: First let’s look at ballots filled out on election day at the correct polling place by a voter who does not receive a Vote By Mail (VBM) ballot. These voters are verified and confirmed at the polling place, the completed ballot is put in a secure box, and a cartridge from the polling place keeps track of who has voted in person to ensure they do not submit more than one ballot. Polling place ballots get picked up from the polls on Election Day, and are delivered to the receiving area at the government center. Delivery usually occurs before 9:00pm. First these ballots are hand inspected for any damage, stains or for “incorrect” marks, which if found means the ballot will be counted by hand. The data held in the cartridges from the polling stations is transferred into the system to record that voter’s ballot as received. The system is designed to “catch” a voter who has submitted more than one ballot and keeps track of the method in which someone votes. An undamaged and correctly marked ballot goes directly to the ballot counter, a machine called the “400C”. Four of these machines are in a room off limits to the public but easily seen through two walls of windows. The 400C looks similar to a copy machine with a stack of ballots inserted into a tray on one side pulled through the machine one at a time, and being spit out the other side. There is a computer attached to each machine that records the count. Ballots submitted at the polls get counted first and fastest.

Next are the Vote By Mail (VBM) ballots. The process of tallying these votes takes longer. No matter when they were received they don’t get counted until after the ballots from the polling places have been counted on Election Day, this is to ensure voters submit only one ballot. First the envelopes are run through a very large machine (about 6 feet wide by 15 ft long by 4 ft tall) called the APEX. This machine is also in a room that is off limits to the public, but easily seen through two large windows. The APEX records a digital image of the signature on the envelope and records the ballot as received. If a ballot is received without a signature it is not counted. Elections worker verify the signature against voter registration records. Once verified, the envelope moves onto the next machine, called the “juggler”. It’s a simple looking machine, sort of like a music stand. But it has a wood top with a platform and slats that hold the envelopes at an angle, with a plastic base attached to a machine that jiggles it. This separates the envelopes from each other helping to prevent jams in the next machine, and helps to “juggle” the ballot inside away from the paper envelope. Think about how you shake a letter to one side of an envelope before tearing it open. Then a person stacks these “juggled” envelopes into the Extractor or OPEX machine. This is another big “L” shaped machine with Plexiglas covers over the assembly line looking working parts that move each envelope along a path, flip it on it’s side, slice off the end and extract the ballot. The envelope is then discarded and the ballot is placed in a container for the next step. Three people oversee the extraction process, with someone confirming that each envelope is truly emptied, sometimes having to slice and remove the ballot by hand. Next the ballot is inspected by hand for damage, tears, improper marks etc. If the ballot is cleared, it moves onto the 400C to be counted. The final process is the “ Vote, No Vote” verification. This process ensures again that a unique registered voter submitted each ballot received.

When finished with the VBM ballots, the pink provisional ballots are counted. A provisional ballot is issued when a voter goes to an incorrect polling place, or shows up at a polling place without their VBM ballot. Following verification provisional ballots go through the same process as the ballots submitted at the polls on Election Day.

As of press time the elections office estimates the results will be certified by November 19th. Remember that California has no automatic re-counts. So unless a voter requests one (and pays for it) the certified result is it.