Some students at the University of Washington have rolled up their sleeves to tackle an issue all too common in the world of elections — inefficient ballot collection. As reported by Snohomish County, a team from the Industrial and Systems Engineering Department created a tech-driven solution to streamline the county's ballot collection, making the voting process a bit smoother for over half a million registered voters.
The student team, part of an academic capstone project, came up with "Collect. Calculate. Dispatch." - a system engineered to optimize the ballot collection from 35 drop boxes across the county. In the November 2024 General Election, more than 290,000 voters used these drop boxes, and the student’s effort could reshape future elections. As Professor Patricia Buchanan pointed out, these projects help students develop problem-solving skills while addressing community needs. But she also underscored the hands-on impact, saying in a statement obtained by Snohomish County, "These hands-on partnerships give our students invaluable experience while delivering meaningful results for our community partners."
The innovative trio of a smart scale, a route optimization tool, and an integrated dashboard mean election staff can see collection progress live and adapt as needed. This isn't just some pie-in-the-sky academic exercise. Snohomish County Auditor Garth Fell praised the UW capstone team, highlighting their collaboration and swift understanding of the ballot collection process. "The students were organized, collaborative, and motivated. They quickly learned how our ballot collection process works and identified key areas where they could add value. Using sound methodology to rank opportunities and evaluate potential enhancements, they developed quality prototypes that are ready for field testing in future elections. Our team is grateful for the chance to work with such talented students," he told Snohomish County.
Election efficiency aside, this solution is also about sustainability and cost savings. It could slash 122 miles from the ballot collection route per election and save $1,000 because there's no need to buy pre-built scales. And what's more – it brings a dose of ergonomics and safety for the staff handling the ballot boxes. Viggo Forde, Snohomish County IT Director, spoke highly of the collaboration between the county and the university, saying “The students bring such positive energy and engagement and this contributed to a great project with very meaningful insights to our elections team," as noted by the county's website.
