Mailing Services

Full Pre-Election Printing

We employ fully scalable, 21st century document production and distribution technologies to ensure cost effective compliance with all the new notification deadlines and member list update requirements mandated by SB323. While your Community Manager certainly can handle your pre-election notification mailings, BallotWatchers can also provide all these preliminary election notifications to ensure seamless integration with the legally mandated ballot mailing, collection, tabulation and storage duties of the Election Inspector.

Ballot Mailing

BallotWatchers provides cost effective digital printing of the secret ballots and all election materials required by both SB323 and your Association's individual election rules. Using available USPS address matching technology, BallotWatcher will identify and correct any errors in voter and candidate list information to ensure each eligible member of your Association is provided with all the written voting materials mandated by SB323. We can supply your members with individually customized, fully pre-printed and postage paid ballot return envelopes, which only need to be signed and mailed, in order to maximize participation and timely ballot submission.

Ballot Collection

Your Association's secret ballots are received at BallotWatchers' secure, dedicated USPS Post Office boxes, to eliminate potential mail sorting errors, mis-delivery and security lapses on local postal delivery vehicles. After receipt, all returned ballots remain in the direct physical custody of BallotWatchers until they are transported to your Association's meeting site on the day of the election.

On-Site Vote Tabulation

BallotWatchers uses reliable professionals to oversee the most critical aspects of your Association's election, to ensure both transparency of the process and confidence in the results. As required by SB323, on your scheduled Election Day, BallotWatchers will supply your Association with either one (1) or three (3) independent Election Inspectors. We provide only fully-trained Election Inspectors with the statutory credentials to conduct the vote count. Our individual Election Inspectors are all fully-bonded California Notaries, who have each passed rigorous background investigations by the California Department of Justice.

These Election Inspectors -- our individual BallotWatchers -- can conduct the entire process of opening the ballot envelopes and tabulating the votes, or they can supervise Association member volunteers, acting only to resolve questions concerning the validity or interpretation of an individual ballot. BallotWatchers will provide the independence mandated by SB323, and will ensure the integrity of controversial and hotly-contested votes. BallotWatchers will also happily help facilitate and accommodate any Election Day participation traditions followed by your Association's community.

Certification of final election Results

On Election Day, the conclusion of the vote count, our individual BallotWatchers will provide your Association with a Provisional Ballot Tally Report detailing (1) the number of ballots received by mail; (2) the number of ballot submitted on Election Day; (3) the number of ballots opened; (4) the number of ballots rejected and or invalidated; and (5) the vote tallies for each individual candidate and ballot measure. This initial report will also detail any rulings made by the Inspector of Elections on challenges to the eligibility of any member to cast or receive votes in the election. If the provisional tallies reflect statistically significant low voting margins, the ballots will be subject to a secondary review by BallotWatchers' supervisory personnel. 

Within three (3) business days following the election, BallotWatchers will provide your Association with a separate written Certification of Election Results, confirming the vote counts for each candidate and measure, as well as satisfaction of any applicable voting quorum requirements.

Secure Post-Election Storage

After your Association's certified election results are reported, SB323 requires the Inspector of Elections to both securely store all election materials, including the secret ballots and signed ballot envelopes, for at least 12 full months, and to also make the ballots available for a recount or review by any member of your Association. BallotWatchers will store all the required election materials at a secure facility, under 24-hour armed guard, with strict access authority protocols, to ensure the secrecy of every member's ballot remains inviolate. All election materials will be stored in locations geographically near your community, to ensure convenient compliance with any post-election requests to review or recount the ballots.

Secure Disposal

Fifty-five (55) weeks after the election, BallotWatchers will physically destroy by cross-cut shredding all stored balloting and election materials, relieving your Association and Community Manager from the otherwise continuing obligation to maintain the secrecy of every member's participation and vote in past elections.