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
All supported ballot sizes are 8.5 inches in width, but vary in height as specified in .
These lengths correspond to the length specified in the 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:
As for number of timing marks, there are always 34 in the top and bottom borders, which has a 32 x 39 grid of possible bubble positions inside the timing mark border. 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
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, refer to the .
Metadata QR Code Placement
The interpreter looks for the QR code in the bottom-left corner of the ballot. The detection area is a square whose sides are 1/4 of the ballot width.
In order to be interpreted correctly, bubbles must meet the following dimensions:
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:
