UW engineering students develop tech solution to improve Snohomish County ballot collection

A University of Washington student team developed a technology solution to enhance Snohomish County's ballot collection process. Their system, “Collect. Calculate. Dispatch,” addresses challenges in managing pickups from 35 drop boxes for over 533,000 registered voters. The project emphasizes the value of academic partnerships in real-world innovation, showcasing a smart scale system, a route optimization tool, and an integrated dashboard for real-time monitoring.

Professor Patricia Buchanan highlighted the importance of hands-on experiences for students in tackling community issues. County Auditor Garth Fell commended the team's organization and the quality of their prototypes, which are ready for field testing. The optimized routing system is expected to save 122 miles per general election and reduce costs by $1,000 compared to pre-built scales. The system also enhances staff safety and provides unprecedented visibility into collection operations. Future steps include testing the system and refining the user experience based on usability feedback.