New Kodak Alaris Document-Scanning System for Processing Mail-In Ballots

On July 27th, Kodak Alaris introduced a new document-scanning solution to automate the processing of mail-in ballot envelopes for elections in the United States Called the Kodak Alaris Mail-in Ballot Processing Solution, the company says the new system will help county election offices to process ballot envelopes and verify voter signatures.

The Mail-in Ballot Processing Solution includes a Kodak i4000 Series Scanner and imprinter accessory that stamps the envelope with the date, time, and batch number. It also includes specialized software from Logicworks and a license to Parascript’s signature verification system. Professional installation of hardware and software and support services are also included.

Here’s how it works. When ballots are received by mail, a Kodak i4000 Series Scanner is used to scan both sides of each ballot envelope. Envelopes are stamped with the scan date, time, and batch number. The voter’s signature is captured off the envelope and compared against the signature database to generate a comparison score. This score will trigger an automatic signature validation, or flag it for further verification. Validated signature and ballot information is then delivered to the county’s Election Management Software.

Joseph Odore, product portfolio marketing manager at Kodak Alaris, explained that, since 1992, voting by mail has increased 40 percent in the U.S., and many states have expanded eligibility and accelerated acceptance of mail-in ballots since the 2020 pandemic. “Counties can now use this fast, reliable, and cost-effective solution to help them keep pace with this growing trend,” he said.

There are now more than 3,000 counties in the United States with requirements for mail-in ballots for federal and local elections. Automating the ballot intake process helps counties reduce their operating costs during an election cycle.

This system is also said to provide up to a 95 percent increase in ballot-processing efficiency, and the automated signature verification is accurate up to 99 percent, the latter of which significantly reduces the number of ballot signatures that require manual verification. The software automatically rejects ballots that were intended for a different county or election, further reducing the risk of errors.

For more information, visit Kodak Alaris here.

• May 2022: Kodak Alaris Expands S3000 Departmental Document-Scanner Line
• January 2022: Kodak Alaris Expands Partnership with ABBYY
• May 2021: MPS Monitor Brings Managed Service to Kodak Alaris Scanners
• October 2020: New Low-Volume Production Scanners from Kodak Alaris