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Saving Green with Ballots On-Demand

Runbeck Election Services, Inc. White Paper: Copyright 2010

 Saving Green with Ballots On-Demand

Printing ballots on-demand makes sense for a wide variety of reasons including cost savings, ballot accuracy, election results integrity and the responsible use of natural resources. Each reason stands on the value of its own merits. However, the primary green reason for adopting an on-demand printing system is that it supports one of the basic tenets of environmental responsibility - reduce, reuse and recycle. On-demand ballot printing helps you reduce the use of natural resources and offers a huge win for election officials and the constituents that they serve by printing only those ballots that are needed with no waste or overage. Runbeck Election Services Sentio ballot-on-demand system offers an earth-friendly solution for jurisdictions that are embracing paper ballot solutions. With on-demand printing, there is no waste when each absentee or early vote ballot is printed for the registered voter. In effect, on-demand printing means a near perfect use of natural resources for those that choose the familiarity, security and reliability of paper ballots. With the Sentio Ballot Printing System, voting officials can: Effectively reduce the amount of paper required to meet voter demand Eliminate excess usage of ink and printing processes liminate excess transportation and storage of extra ballot materials that are typically discarded at E the end of each election Most importantly, on-demand printing is ideally suited for absentee and early voting requirements and is portable enough to be used at voter locations.

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 Saving Green with Ballots On-Demand

Ballots On-Demand A Better Process

the Sentio Ballot Printing System can print in multiple languages, thereby supporting the unique needs of diverse jurisdictions; it is a self-contained, on-demand solution that leverages many advances and minimizes the use of limited natural resources. these include: Maricopa County has elections where over 45% (825,000+) of the registered voters received early ballots by mail; we also have elections where only 10% to 20% requested early ballots by mail. With this unknown variable put into the election mix, it was very difficult to anticipate the quantity of requests that may be received for early voting by mail. Since the inception of the Sentio Ballot-on-Demand process, we have eliminated the need for speculation and have replaced it with absolutes. We are now only printing the number of ballots absolutely needed for early voting and we are absolutely ecstatic about the cost savings and moreover about the fact that it is in line with the state and countys going green vision Reynaldo valenzuela Jr., Assistant Director of Elections, Maricopa County Duplex production. Sentio ballots are printed on both sides of the paper and can be printed on any paper stock up to 11" by 19" dimensions. Simplex production. Sentio ballots that are single-sided can be printed on any paper stock up to 11" x 22" dimensions. A patent-pending feeder device. the feeder increases accuracy and handling of blank ballot materials and is critical to maintaining alignment for exceptional printing quality to avoid rejected ballots by tabulating machines. A patent-pending print verification system. Mounted on a custom catch tray ballots can be scanned using barcode scanners or OCR cameras as they exit the printer. the paper catch tray secures the ballot until they are distributed to the correct voter. Electronic voter registration systems. Sentio can interface with voter registration systems so that voter check-in and ballot printing can occur at early voting locations without poll worker intervention. Patent-Pending Sentio Software. Many features of the Sentio depend on proprietary software, developed by Runbeck that manages multiple layers of security, precinct and voter identification, voter registration systems integration, reporting and electronic audit trails. the Sentio system is remarkably durable and portable and can be used in low to medium volume environments for distribution to voters, either in person at early vote locations or from centralized production facilities for delivery by mail. Election officials can rest easy knowing that ballots can be printed virtually anywhere: at the early voting locations, at elected officials offices, off-site production facilities or even at third party providers such as outsourced letter shops.

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 Saving Green with Ballots On-Demand

With the Sentio, jurisdictions can satisfy ballot printing needs for a number of reasons: allot Printing On-Demand. Ballots are printed individually at the early vote site for each voter B after he or she checks in and is authorized to vote by the elections official. A ballot is printed for each voter, in their preferred language with the correct information for his or her precinct. allot Printing Based on Absentee Request. Ballots can be printed in response to requests to B vote-by-mail either for the first time absentee request or for replacement request due to loss or destruction. ulk Printing by Third-Party Vendor. Since the Sentio is ultra portable, jurisdictions have the B ability to print from anywhere even with third party vendors. When the jurisdiction owns the equipment youre not bound to any single printer. Roll in the Sentio printers, train the vendors personnel and print the ballots.

On-Demand Printing Provides Maximum Green

On-demand means optimal efficiency in ballot processing because all storage, sorting and preprinting of ballots is eliminated. this means users get the smallest carbon footprint, use the least amount of natural resources and provide the friendliest solution to your local environment. ll sheet fed printers have waste when they print. this is because they are required to print A setup sheet and produce overages because printing too few is not acceptable. As a result waste occurs with every ballot run. the Sentio reduces and eliminates waste because it only prints a ballot for each and every voter request there is no waste and better security because test runs and overages are eliminated. this means there is less paper waste and fewer natural resources used, and less processing at the paper mill. eduction in ink. When test runs, overages and pre-printed ballots are eliminated, chemicals, ink R and toxic fumes are also eliminated. Transportation costs. Pre-printing of ballots requires movement of paper and ink. these are heavy materials and heavy duty trucks measure their load by the pound. Every pound eliminated means less fuel and wear and tear on vehicles. torage. Paper requires special handling and care. You cant just store it anywhere. It has to S be protected and this means air conditioning and humidity control systems. Print your ballots on-demand and you eliminate the storage of un-necessary ballots and associated costs to the environment. the base machine for the Sentio is an Energy Star compliant Oki printing device. As a global manufacturer Oki is committed to protecting the environment. OkI printers are designed to cut energy consumption up to 50% when they are idle. this reduces air pollution resulting from power generation and reduces your operating costs.

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 Saving Green with Ballots On-Demand

Partnership With OKI Yields Many Green Benefits

t Oki, the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive has been in force since July 2006. A the means that the six substances subject to the regulation are being eliminated or minimized. the six hazardous chemicals are lead, hexavalent chromium, cadium, mercury and two types of specific bromic fire retardants (PBB, PBDE). Examples of this effort include: a) elimination of hexavalent chromium from zinc-coated steel sheets; b) adoption of screws that are free of hexavalent chromium; c) elimination of lead from printed circuit boards. ransportation costs impact everything in the printing business where paper weight is a major factor t in the consumption of fuel. Oki is a great partner for Runbeck in this regard and is helpful in our efforts to reduce shipping weight and fuel costs for the Sentio. they are currently testing usage of cardboard pallets instead of wooden pallets. this will allow us to improve handling, reduce weight and provide a pallet that is more easily recycled. ED print heads from Oki, like those used in the Sentio, entirely eliminate ozone production and offer l fully recyclable and refillable toner cartridges.

Sentio is Certified to Print for all Major Tabulation Systems

Sentio printed ballots are certified to run on every major ballot scanning system including ES&S, Premier, Sequoia and Hart. In preparation for the scanning process, Runbeck offers a complete closed loop audit process for all ballots printed by Runbeck Sentio equipment. Each ballot is printed from an encrypted ballot file and stored electronically as a completed copy of the printed ballot. We account for each ballot, offering proof that the ballot was printed for the voter request. this is a highly efficient process and helps minimize ballot reprints.

Designed for Flexibility, Mobility and an Earth Friendly Footprint

Sentio has been engineered to withstand the rigors of on-demand printing. It is highly configurable, offers a small footprint and is very affordable. Given the ever-changing demographics of the population, jurisdictions need to adjust when population changes occur. Portability and affordability mean you can purchase or lease the right amount of equipment and print only what you need knowing that the Sentio requires a small investment so you can adjust to meet the needs of specific population segments. In addition, when natural disasters happen, the mobility of a Sentio will support your disaster recovery plans. It is important to note that traditional offset ballot printing requires inventory projections, facility layout considerations and management concerns. Because the Sentio is so small, portable and modular, a

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 Saving Green with Ballots On-Demand

group of Sentio printers can flex and move to meet even the most variable conditions. With a little bit of planning, the Runbeck Sentio system can be deployed in such a way as to minimize investments in inventory management, design, training, and project management resources. Runbeck is always available to help users achieve success with every election, but its nice to know that ballots can be printed on-demand in many locations, with a limited amount of training when you need it most and because each Sentio delivers a ballot for every voter, you obtain consistency throughout your entire voting jurisdiction - all while delivering a flexible and green solution.

Conclusion

Runbeck customers have chosen Sentio to manage elections where paper ballots are seen as the best option and especially where constituents want an efficient solution that is earth friendly. Customers have used Sentio for vote by mail elections, precinct ballots, test ballots, provisional, provisional ballot needs, and at early voting sites. Sentio is a solution that is cost effective, flexible and friendly to the environment. Sentios innovative design lets you take advantage of the latest technology, extreme portability for on-demand printing and provides an environmentally- friendly solution that is best of breed among all paper-based voting solutions. Whatever your paper ballot needs, Runbeck Election Services Sentio solution can help you meet those needs with a green solution.

Case Study Results

A short run on how much green Runbeck customers save with on-demand ballot printing
In 2008 Maricopa and Pima Counties in Arizona made huge efficiency gains in how they use paper ballots. In fact, Maricopa County is the 4th most populous county in the united States with over 1.8 million registered voters. through adoption of the Sentio Ballot Printing System, within a two-year span, these two counties eliminated nearly 2 million unused ballots when compared to the production requirements of the 2006 election.

Maricopa County 2006 Primary & General elections Early voting and Duplicate ballots ordered Early voting and Duplicate ballots used unused ballots unused ballots in 2008 1,834,000 617,000 1,217,000 -0-

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 Saving Green with Ballots On-Demand

Pima County 2006 Primary & General elections Early voting and Duplicate ballots ordered Early voting and Duplicate ballots used unused ballots unused ballots in 2008 total unused ballots saved tons of paper saved Dollars saved 871,000 219,000 652,000 -01,869,000 55 $ 485,000

Brevard County, Florida also uses the Sentio system to manage absentee and on-demand ballot design and printing. During the historic Presidential election of 2008, Brevard County and many other Florida counties used the Sentio to meet the needs of a demanding public and eliminated printing overages and transportation costs on over 4 million printed ballots. Florida is an environmentally rich coastal state and the voters in these counties enthusiastically embraced the success of Sentio. the following table lists additional estimates of Runbeck Sentio customers, estimated volumes printed and tonnage saved within each jurisdiction:
Jurisdiction Broward Brevard Charlotte Pinellas Miami-Dade Palm Beach tOtAl Ballot volume 1,972,377 886,846 255,540 1,724,690 1,505,741 718,275 7,063,469 Traditional print lbs 73,964 33,257 9,583 64,676 56,465 26,935 264,880 Traditional 3% overage 2,219 998 287 1,940 1,694 808 7,946 On-demand lbs saved 2,219 998 287 1,940 1,694 808 7,9461

During this one election cycle, these six counties saved nearly 4 tons of paper. If these six counties had efficiency gains similar to those in Arizona, then they would eliminate 8.8 million ballots during each ballot cycle or 259 tons of paper (current experience is 2.2 ballots printed and unused for every 1 ballot used). the Sentio Ballot Printing System is unquestionably green, saving thousands of pounds of paper across the country in every election cycle.

2,000 lbs per ton

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