10/27/2026
👀 Check out our Ballot Sorter! 🙌
✉ The AgilisFalcon election mail sorter processes ballot envelopes quickly and accurately, flags potential issues for manual review, and helps staff organize ballots into appropriate categories.
✅ Before each group of ballots is sorted, a trained Voter Registration Office staff member updates the AgilisFalcon with the latest voter information. As each declaration envelope passes through the sorter, the system:
• Checks the envelope’s dimensions and thickness to help determine whether it contains the required privacy envelope and ballot. Envelopes that do not pass this check are routed for manual review.
• Captures an image of the outside declaration envelope.
• Reads the barcode containing voter information and the Correspondence ID, then confirms that it matches a registered voter who requested a mail ballot and has not already voted.
• Captures the signature box so Voter Registration Office staff can verify that a signature is present.
✅ Ballot Status Updates
After processing is complete, the office sends the ballot information to the Pennsylvania Department of State, which updates its ballot tracker to show the ballot as “received.” Because this reporting process is not instantaneous, there may be a delay between the office’s physical receipt of a ballot and the tracker update.
✅ Defective Ballots and Voter Notification
During manual review, some ballots may be identified as defective. Common issues include:
• A missing privacy envelope
• A missing signature
• A signature that does not match the voter’s declaration envelope, which can occur when members of the same household place their ballots in the wrong envelopes
🚨 If a ballot is found to be defective, the Voter Registration Office attempts to contact the voter and provide an opportunity to visit the office to correct the declaration envelope. The office also posts a list of defective ballots on the Erie County Elections website. If the voter does not correct the defect, the Board of Elections generally meets on Election Day to decide whether the ballot may be accepted.
🔒 Secure Storage Until Election Day
Mail-in and absentee ballots remain sealed in their declaration envelopes and are stored securely until 7:00 a.m. on Election Day. They may not be opened before that time.
