YAKIMA, wash. — Yakima County is upgrading its election process with a new ballot sorting machine designed to make election season more efficient and reliable.
The BlueCrest Elevate, from the same company that provided Yakima’s previous machine—a unique model that served the county for over a decade—will revolutionize ballot processing.
County Auditor Charles Ross explained that the machine verifies each ballot by comparing the signature with the database, then automatically slices the bottom of the ballot envelope, replacing manual cutting tools. Ballots flagged for review are separated without being cut to ensure accuracy.
Ross described the machine as a game changer on election night, noting that it significantly reduces the time and manpower needed to sort ballots, enabling faster public reporting of election totals.
The machine marks the official starting point for ballot tracking, with a goal to process ballots through it daily during election cycles. Ballots either move through the system to counting, remain securely stored, or are held by the post office Ross said.
This investment addresses voter concerns about ballot accuracy and the timely release of election results Ross said.
Additional details from Ross highlight the advanced capabilities of the BlueCrest Elevate, which can process up to 18,000 ballot envelopes per hour.
“It has a backside facing camera, so there’s no need to organize envelopes before processing, especially those from drop boxes,” Ross said. This feature reduces handling time and speeds up sorting. The machine also automatically separates unsigned envelopes to allow quicker voter outreach for signature verification.”
Ross explained the financial planning behind the $452,000 investment.
“We use a depreciation schedule and set money aside each year to ensure we can replace this machine when it becomes obsolete. We expect this new machine may last 15 to 20 years.”
Ross expressed pride in the county’s election system.
“I am very proud to tell Yakima County voters and taxpayers that our election team runs one of the best election systems in the state and we are using some of the best election processing equipment in the world.” Ross said.
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