HomeCodeEmail Support

Ballot Printing Specifications & Supply List

Ballot Printing in Bulk (From External Printer)

When using a third party printer, VotingWorks recommends printing ballots on paper between 38# Bond (140 GSM) - 65# Cover (177 GSM) for the best voter experience. The commonly available paper weights in this range are:

  • 38# Bond (140 GSM)

  • 100# Text (140 GSM)

  • 40# Bond (150 GSM)

  • 60# Cover (162 GSM)

  • 90# Index (162 GSM)

  • 120# Text (177 GSM)

  • 65# Cover (177 GSM)

Ballot Printing On-Demand (In-House)

When printing ballots on-demand using supplied HP printers, VotingWorks suggests printing ballots on 40# Bond (150 GSM) and specifically recommends HP 40# Project Paper for use with these printers. Heavier paper is most important for printing of precinct hand-marked paper ballots for an improved voter experience inserting ballots into VxScan and to reduce the rates of paper jams.

The following alternative common off-the-shelf paper weights are suitable for absentee ballot or ballot-marking device ballot printing on-demand:

Note: printing of paper heavier than 32# Bond (120 GSM) requires use of either the HP454dn printer or Tray 1 on the HP404dn or HP404n printers.

If printing ballots on another computer or printer with the ballot package .pdfs, your Adobe settings must be set to "actual size" under page sizing. Any alteration of page size may effect scanning and tabulation.

Marking Utensils

There is no specific recommendation for a marking utensil but it should be an ink pen that dries quickly. No markers.

Toner Cartridges

The HP printers for both VxMark and VxAdmin use toner cartridge 58. HP offers two sizes:

  • HP 58A - regular size, prints approximately 3000 pages

  • HP 58X - high yield, prints approximately 10000 pages

USB Drive Recommendations and Compatibility

While our system does not require a particular type of USB drive, some USB drives will not work because of how they are formatted. Drives must be in a FAT format.

There are a handful of USB drive models that we have tested and recommend to customers. We selected them because they work with our system, have reputable manufacturers, and can be bought at a reasonable price. You don't need more than 8GB in size, but for most of our recommended models the minimum you can buy is 16GB.

Highly Recommended USB Drives:

Other Recommended USB Drives:

You can try USB drives that are not on this list, but you must test each model with our equipment before you use it in an election.

Voting Instruction Posters

Voting Instruction Poster - landscape

Voting Instruction Poster - portrait

PreviousPrinter FAQs

Last updated