ElectionBuddy offers two types of Paper Ballots: Postal Paper Ballots and Printed Paper Ballots. The difference between these two types is how they are distributed. Postal Ballots are sent to your voters by ElectionBuddy while Printed Ballots are sent to voters by you.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What is the cost of using paper ballots?
- Can a voter still vote electronically, even if they've been issued a paper ballot?
- Can a voter cast two votes — one electronically, and one on paper?
- Will my paper ballot look like my electronic ballot?
- What is the page limit for postal paper ballots?
- Can I use a paper ballot for just one voter on my voter list?
- Is the tear-off portion of the ballot required?
- Does my postal paper ballot include a return envelope and postage?
- When can I print my paper ballots?
- When and how can paper ballots be submitted?
What is the cost of using paper ballots?
ElectionBuddy's paper ballots are included in the Professional Pricing Tier, and above.
If you are mailing the ballots yourself, there are no additional charges. However, if you are having ElectionBuddy mail them on your behalf, then there is a per-voter charge for postage. For more information on the price of mailing ballots, please contact us at support@electionbuddy.com.
If you choose to have ElectionBuddy do the mailing on your behalf, ElectionBuddy charges you postage for all voters (i.e. the maximum possible postage costs) when you pay and start your vote, even if you start the vote with only a few voters with an address for receiving a mailed ballot. This ensures that you can send more mail, if necessary, while your vote is running. When your vote ends, any postage that was not used gets refunded back to you.
If only a few of your voters need paper ballots, please see Printing Individual Ballots.
Can a voter still vote electronically, even if they've been issued a paper ballot?
Yes. Each paper ballot has a unique reference number. This number is associated with an equally unique access key, which is the electronic voting credential issued to each voter. The access key can be used to vote electronically.
Can a voter cast two votes — one electronically, and one on paper?
Once either the Paper Ballot or the Electronic Ballot has been submitted, the related voter keys have been used, and another vote cannot be submitted regardless of whether it's cast via a Paper Ballot or an Electronic Ballot.
Will my paper ballot look like my electronic ballot?
They have similarities, but they will differ. The paper ballot loses some of the features of electronic ballots due to space constraints. However, any formatting of text that you add to the electronic ballot is preserved for paper ballots.
| Compatible with Paper Ballots | Not Compatible with Paper Ballots |
| Abstain | Ask for Comments |
| Write-ins | Advanced Ballot Customization (including logos) |
| Random Order | |
What is the page limit for postal paper ballots?
The maximum number of pages that can be sent is 10 pages. This page limit includes the page that is allocated for the notice. If your notice is too long, it can run onto another page, which will take up another page out of your ten-page limit. If you choose to use the tear-off portion for the ballots, you will be allocating a page for that tear-off portion.
There is also a width limit, as a piece of paper can only be so wide. We recommend having no more than twenty candidates/options per ballot question when using paper ballots with the tear-off portion to ensure that candidate/options boxes do not run off the paper.
Can I use a paper ballot for just one voter on my voter list?
Yes! You will be able to print a voter's ballot in the event that they cannot vote electronically. Nothing needs to be done in your vote setup to enable this, and there is no additional cost.
Is the tear-off portion of the ballot required?
No. It is meant to assist with the speed of entering the ballots into ElectionBuddy and to minimize any return postage costs.
Does my postal paper ballot include a return envelope and postage?
Postal paper ballots have a return envelope included with them, but the return envelope is blank with no paid return postage. Your voters will be required to cover the postage to mail ballots back to you.
When can I print my paper ballots?
The vote must be in the "Ready" or "Running" status in order to have access to download and print the ballots.
When and how can paper ballots be submitted?
Paper ballots may be entered into ElectionBuddy when the vote is in the "Ready", "Running" or "Completed" status. For steps on submitting paper ballots, please see Submitting Paper Ballots.
For any additional questions, please send us a chat using our Buddy Messenger in the bottom right of the screen