Author: Karen Brinson Bell, Executive Director
This numbered memo provides information about the minimum number of ballots that must be ordered for the July 26, 2022 election. This guidance is intended to be used for that election date only.
For municipal general elections:
For second primaries and runoffs:
County boards of elections are required to procure a supply of paper ballots as follows:
- For counties that use pre-printed ballots as their primary method of voting, order ballots at least equal to 100% of the turnout in the relevant contest in the May 17 election.
- For counties that use ballot-marking devices and/or ballot-on-demand with blank stock as their primary method of voting, order pre-printed ballots at least equal to 15% of the turnout in the relevant contest in the May 17 election.
- Blank stock must be on hand equal to 100% of the turnout in the relevant contest in the May 17 election.
Required minimums have been calculated to help ensure that voting sites have a sufficient supply of pre-printed ballots in the event of power failures or other disruptions.
The amounts of ballots required to be prepared by this memo are a minimum. County boards must always consider the unique needs of the county and expected turnout on Election Day in determining how many pre-printed ballots to order. Factors may include, but are not limited to, considerable changes in population or special ballot items like referenda.
All county boards should exercise their best judgment, including by reviewing turnout in past similar elections, in determining the number of ballots of each style to prepare and distribute to each voting location. All counties must ensure pre-printed or ballot-on-demand quantities are adequate to fulfill absentee ballot requests and factor in these requests when placing an order for ballots or ballot stock. The distribution of ballots to Election Day precincts should also take into account the turnout at one-stop locations during that election. County boards should monitor same-day registrations and turnout during one-stop and order additional ballots as needed.
↓ Ballot Quantities for July 26, 2022 Election: Numbered Memo 2022-06 (PDF)