Voters can request and receive access to the Remote Accessible Vote by Mail (RAVBM) system. The RAVBM system allows voters to download to their own internet connected device, such as personal computer, their ballot. They can then mark their ballot privately and independently using their own assistive technology, if needed.  Voters then print their marked ballot and must mail it to the Elections Office to be counted or drop it off at any operational Vote Center or Ballot Drop Box throughout the county.  

This video provides more information on the RAVBM system.

When

Access the service anytime, day or night, starting 29 days before Election Day.

How

Email us at Elections@CountyofKings.com or call (559) 852-4401 / 1(800)289-9981 ext. 4401 to have a link emailed to you.  Please note access to the internet and a printer is required for use.  

FAQ

What is the Remote Accessible Vote by Mail System?

The Remote Accessible Vote by Mail (RAVBM) system is a secured web based voting session that allows voters the opportunity to secretly mark, download, and return a ballot from their current location to the elections office via USPS, drop box, or vote center.

Who can use the System?

Any registered voter can request to use the system. 

Is RAVBM internet voting?

No, RAVBM is not internet voting.  Elections Code 19295 strictly forbids a remote accessible vote by mail system, or part of a remote accessible vote by mail system, from having the capability, including an optional capability, to use a remote server to mark a voter’s selections and transmit to a server from the voter’s computer via the Internet.

What is the Deadline to return the Ballot?

All remote accessible vote by mail ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received within 7 days of the election to be considered timely.

All remote accessible vote by mail ballots submitted in person must be dropped off at the Kings County Elections Office, any Kings County Vote Center, or any Kings County Drop Box prior to 8:00 PM on Election Day.

How will the Elections Department process my ballot?

Once your Remote Accessible Vote by Mail ballot is received by the Elections Office, the signature on the return envelope will be compared to the signature on your Voter Registration Form. After signature verification, to preserve the secrecy of the votes, the Elections Office will remove and separate the ballot from the return envelope that has your name, address, and signature. Once extracted, the ballot moves forward in the process to be counted. The entire process is open to public observation to allow transparency.

Is the accessible vote by mail system secure?

Yes. The accessible vote by mail system provided by the Elections Department has been certified by the California Secretary of State for use in California.

What’s to stop a voter from voting multiple times using the RAVBM system? 

All ballots returned via the RAVBM system must come back in either a postage-paid envelope with the voter’s signature and AVID (Absentee Voter ID) indicated or returned in a standard envelope with a completed “Oath of Voter” form, which includes the AVID and signature line.  Once the ballot is checked in via the AVID, any other attempts to return a ballot with that same AVID will be flagged for review by the system. 

The only exception is for UOCAVA (military and overseas) voters who are authorized to return a ballot via fax.  The “Oath of Voter” form along with the envelope image page must be returned with the ballot for the Elections Department to process it. 

What’s to stop a voter from printing multiple ballots and attempting to drop them in a ballot box at a Vote Center? 

Numerous precautions are in place to prevent a person from “stuffing” the ballot box including:

• ballot accounting at the end of each day of voting
• specialized paper for official ballots used at the Vote Center that include a county watermark and specific paper weight
• the inability of ballots printed via the RAVBM system from being read by our tabulation devices. 

RAVBM ballots must be processed via the “Duplication” process.

What is the Duplication process?

Duplication is a process where 2 members of the Elections Department examine the ballot for authenticity, mark a new ballot via the ballot marking device (ICX) that is identical to the ballot to be duplicated, and make a record in the Duplication log where a void and duplicated serial number are included and matched to the ballots voided and created.  Voided ballots are retained for the required retention period and the duplicated ballot is sent to tabulation. The process is open to public observation to allow transparency.