UW Students Develop Smart Tech Solution to Improve Ballot Collection for Snohomish County
A team from the University of Washington's Industrial and Systems Engineering program developed a comprehensive system to enhance ballot collection for Snohomish County Elections. The project, “Collect. Calculate. Dispatch. ,” employs smart scales, a route optimization tool, and a real-time dashboard to address the challenges of managing pickups from 35 drop boxes serving over 533,000 voters.
Professor Patricia Buchanan emphasized the value of the capstone program in tackling community challenges while fostering critical problem-solving skills among students. The technology is projected to save $1,000 compared to pre-built scales and enhance staff safety through ergonomic design. Garth Fell, Snohomish County Auditor, praised the students for their organized and collaborative approach in identifying areas for improvement. The system's pilot testing is scheduled for upcoming elections, indicating its readiness for real-world application. This partnership exemplifies the University of Washington's commitment to practical innovation in election administration.
The project not only optimizes logistics but also provides unprecedented visibility into collection operations.