Hand Marked Ballots
VxSuite can tabulate a wide variety of ballot designs as long as they conform to the following requirements:
Ballot size must be one of the available system options
Ballot must include correctly formatted timing mark borders
Ballot must include an appropriately positioned metadata QR code
Ballot must use a specific bubble shape
Ballot must adhere to system limits
Ballot Size
There are six valid ballot sizes. All are 8.5 inches in width, but vary in height:
Letter
11"
8.5"
Legal
14"
8.5"
Custom 17"
17"
8.5"
Custom 18"
18"
8.5"
Custom 21"
21"
8.5"
Custom 22"
22"
8.5"
These lengths correspond to the length specified in the Ballot Layout within the election definition.
Timing Mark Borders
Every ballot must have timing mark borders on both front and back. The timing marks and page margins are strictly defined:
Timing Mark Width
3/16 in.
Timing Mark Height
1/16 in.
Page Margin (Top, Bottom)
12pt (1/6 in.)
Page Margin (Left, Right)
5mm
As for number of timing marks, there are always 34 in the top and bottom borders. The number of marks in the left and right borders varies based on the length of the ballot, and should be calculated by the formula (# inches * 4) - 3. For example, a letter-sized ballot (11 inches) should have 41 left and right timing marks whereas a legal-sized ballot (14 inches) should have 53 left and right timing marks.
The timing marks must be aligned to the margins of the page and evenly spaced.
QR Code Metadata
The ballot must include a QR code which contains key metadata about the ballot.
QR Code Content
The QR code includes ballot metadata:
Precinct Index - corresponds to a precinct in the election definition
Ballot Style Index - corresponds to a ballot style in the election definition
Page Number - page number within the ballot style
Test Ballot Flag - indicates whether the ballot is a test ballot or an official ballot
Ballot Type (Precinct, Absentee, or Provisional)
In addition, the QR code includes the ballot hash. The ballot hash ensures that the ballot was generated from the same election definition that will be used to interpret the ballot.
For full specifications on how to generate readable QR codes, view the ballot encoder documentation.
Metadata QR Code Placement
The interpreter looks for ballots in the bottom-left corner of the ballot. The detection area is a square whose sides are 1/4 of the ballot width.
Bubble Format
In order to be interpreted correctly, bubbles must meet the following dimensions:
Width
0.20"
Height
0.13"
Border Radius
0.7"
Line Thickness
1px (0.265mm)
Grid Coordinates
The timing mark borders define an abstract grid that VxSuite uses to assign coordinates to positions on the ballot. In the election definition, bubble positions and other ballot regions are specified using these grid coordinates. The ballot grid is an XY grid with the origin in the top-left corner. For example, the coordinate (5, 3) would correspond to the following position on the ballot:
Notes:
Coordinates correspond to the center of each timing mark
Coordinates specify the center of each bubble
Fractional coordinates are allowed
Complete Example
Below is a complete ballot that, when paired with the appropriate election definition, could be interpreted within VxSuite:
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