Postal Voting

The election world is undergoing a rapid transformation with postal voting leading the change in many jurisdictions. Runbeck Election Services is a leader in providing complete solutions for this new wave of voting preference and we can do the same for your elections.

As voter requests for early voting ballots increase, automated assembly and mailing is essential to meeting the response times usually required by law. To that end, Runbeck Election Services has implemented the Pitney Bowes' Relia-Vote™ Mail Balloting System.

Runbeck Election Services is the only private company that owns and operates the Pitney Bowes Relia-Vote mailing system. The system has an integrated suite of solutions that minimizes postal costs, automates ballot inserting and addressing, ensures mail ballot accuracy and integrity, and provides a piece-level audit trail and real proof of mailing and tracking through the use of U.S. Postal Service IMBŪ. This process streamlines and accelerates the signature verification process, automates sorting and provides an image archive of the envelope face and signature.

This equipment allows us to ensure the proper ballot is in the proper envelope through state-of-the-art intelligent inserting capabilities. The system also captures images and data of all outgoing pieces to create proof that a piece was in fact processed. For customers that use RES for incoming mail, the system records the voter information and captures signature images for verification prior to auditing each mail piece. RES also processes mail using more conventional mailing methods that match to different identifiers to ensure the correct ballot is in each envelope.

Runbeck currently utilizes an NCOA program that will process address data through the 18-months database in order to comply with the Postal Services' Move Update Requirements. The output file will have the original address with an indication that this is a good address to which mail could be sent as well as the new address if the recipient has moved.

Runbeck also utilizes the USPS approved CASS certification program to correct and standardize all address files received from its customers. The program will append the data with the corrected address and an IMB field to be used in the laser printing of addresses.

Outbound

Runbeck ensures that multiple checkpoints are in place to catch any errors by using the early voting request file to audit this part of the process. A barcode is created for each voter and is ink-jetted onto the mail piece. This system is used at various points to verify that the correct material was included and assembled accurately. Any non-complying mail piece is automatically out-stacked for further examination and reprocessing.

After successful insertion, a batch report is generated for reconciliation. That output file is fed to the sorter. Batches are checked again at the sorter where any envelope not in the output file is out-stacked. An image of the face of the outgoing envelope is scanned and archived. Documentation for the Postal Service is created as well as verification and tracking reports complete with IMB^® codes and corresponding voter identification numbers.

Inbound

High-speed scanners capture signatures and barcodes on the returning envelope, where lasers measure thickness to determine if the envelope meets specifications for a return ballot. The scanners then create an electronic image archive of all returned ballot envelopes, providing an audit trail to expedite and simplify research in the event of a voter inquiry. Resulting files are then integrated with the jurisdiction's signature retrieval system to provide split-screen viewing with the signature of record (electronic signature validation is 7-10 times faster than existing manual processes). Before delivery for processing, envelopes are sorted by jurisdiction or legislative district to expedite possible recounts.

Runbeck can easily adapt your early voter data files for compatibility with the Relia-Vote™ system. To maintain data integrity, the fields are populated by read-only files. A dedicated FTP server is available for file transfers or a virtual private network can be established between the Runbeck Election Services facilities and customer systems for secure communications.