Counting
The Team
Team size can range from 2 to 5 people, depending on how many functions each member performs and the availability of resources and space.
Smaller teams require members to multitask but keep them fully engaged. Larger teams provide may better oversight but cost more and need more space.
Our testing showed 2-person teams were slightly slower, with no significant differences among other sizes. Travis County successfully used 2-person teams with camera oversight on each counting station. We recommend conducting your own timing tests to determine what works best for your county.
The Batch Packet
The batch packet includes a cover sheet, tally sheets, and ballots from a single precinct. The cover sheet displays the precinct and ballot count at a glance.
Note on batch size: Batches typically contain 25 or 50 ballots. While batches of 25 double the recording work, they may be preferable when expecting low ballot volume per precinct (such as mail ballots or runoff elections) or when ballots have many races that would make counting 50 ballots too long without a break.
How it works
Marking
Reconciling
Regardless of team size, all counting teams perform 5 core counting functions.