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West Michigan ballot tracking tool helps identify lost mail, other problems

Clerks were able to spoil, reissue ballots in misplaced tray at Post Office thanks to the tracking barcode.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids based printing and mailing company, Kent Communications, created Track MI Ballot. They put a special barcode on the inside envelope, so the voter can see all postal scans during its journey. Also, the barcode can help clerks track the ballot from their office to the voter. 

RELATED: Grand Rapids business, elected officials create ballot tracking system

Several West Michigan municipalities have partnered with Track MI Ballot, including Grand Rapids, Cannon Township, Walker, and Grandville.

Since voting began, the tracking tool has helped to identify any issues along the absentee voting process. 

"We did find a situation where a tray was misplaced at the postal service," said Brian Quist, the President of Kent Communications, "We were able to identify which ballots were in that tray of mail. The clerk spoiled the ones that were lost, reissued them, and the voters got their ballots in time."

Walker's Clerk, Sarah Bydalek, was the first to sign up for the partnership. She said she is able to look up where a ballot is located if a resident says they have not received it yet. 

"It gives them a surety we've received their ballot," said Bydalek, "That alone will be a great opportunity of success in this election because everyone is a little edgy to make sure their ballot has been received by us."

Bydalek said residents tell her they like the new tracking information.

"It’s giving the voters the surety that we are conscientious and diligent that ballot is getting to them," said Bydalek, "and getting back to us."

Credit: 13 OYS
A Kent Communications worker stacks ballots to sort.

Kent Communications has been printing and sorting ballots for some time, but this is the first year they added the tracking barcode. Quist said they are doing more now than ever before, since absentee ballot laws were changed in 2018. He said he had the idea after watching the Wisconsin primaries earlier in the year, and thought, "Michigan can do better."

"I’m a Michigan resident, I vote in Grand Rapids," said Quist, "and this is a passion project of mine. It’s good for business, but its also good for the state. We want to help the clerks in the state run the most transparent election in the history."

The tracking uses contact information from the Secretary of State's office. Quist said because of that, if you receive a text message or email with tracking information, do not ignore it, it is legitimate. 

"In the past, it was always a crap shoot," said Quist, "The clerks didn’t know where the mail was. Now, we really know when its getting to the home, and when its coming back from the voter to the clerk."

Credit: 13 OYS
Absentee ballots can also be dropped off at your local clerk's office.

The tracking information differs from tracking through the Secretary of State's office, which tells a voter when their ballot was sent out, and when it was received by the clerk. Track MI Ballot follows the ballot's journey through the entire USPS journey, and can show if it is lost along the way.

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