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Project Details

Fabric 1

18 oz High Abrasion Resistant Neoprene Kevlar Coated (HANK)
Producer/Manufacturer: Flexfirm Products Inc.
Primary Use: Main Fabric

Fabric 2

1/8" Thk Commercial Particle Board
Producer/Manufacturer: Ehmke Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Primary Use: Secondary Fabric

Fabric 3

Webbing & Fastener Tape
Producer/Manufacturer: MMI Textiles
Primary Use: Webbing/Narrow Fabric

Engineer Company 1
NOVO Engineering Company

Design Name
Chris Jachimowski

Design Company
Ehmke Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Architect Company
VotingWorks

Fabrication Name
Bob Rosania

Fabrication Company
Ehmke Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Project Manager Name
Greg Nichols

Project Manager Company
Ehmke Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Please describe the project specifications

Project Description

Who would have thought that an industrial textile end product would play a critical role in the democratic process? Voting is the cornerstone of democracy, and its integrity is paramount. After the high-profile issues of the 2000 U.S. presidential election—remember the “hanging chads”?—concerns about the usability, security, and reliability of voting systems came to the forefront. Since then, ongoing research and innovation have focused on creating voting systems that earn and maintain the public’s trust.

At the heart of every voting system lies its most iconic component: the ballot box. Traditionally, voters mark their ballots and drop them into a secure container. While this method is familiar and simple, it presents serious risks—ballot tampering, lost boxes, and delayed vote counts among them. To address these vulnerabilities, modern voting systems are evolving to include end-to-end processes that pair physical ballots with electronic verification. These systems often require advanced ballot boxes equipped with scanners to securely record and store each vote.
Our company collaborated with a national nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing voter confidence through transparent, secure, and user-friendly technology. Together, we developed an innovative ballot box system featuring a voter-facing precinct scanner housed in a rugged, transportable case with a foldable, tamper-evident ballot box. At the core of this system is our custom-engineered textile liner, designed to ensure no unauthorized access or intrusion can compromise the integrity of the votes.

Project Complexity

Designing the Ballot Box Liner posed a unique set of engineering challenges. It had to be:
• Easily installed and foldable for efficient setup and transport
• Highly puncture-resistant and hydrophobic to withstand rough handling and varied environmental conditions
• Tamper-proof and secure to prevent unauthorized ballot insertion
• Cost-effective for nationwide deployment
With only 71% of the U.S. population currently living in areas equipped with secure voting infrastructure, our solution needed to be scalable. Our engineering team and prototype specialists went through nine design iterations to perfect the liner. We integrated multi-layer textile materials with rigid panels at strategic points to block any bypass of the scanner. Tight tolerances (±1/64”) were required for hardware and frame integration to ensure consistent, reliable installation.
The system was designed to be reusable, with total setup and breakdown taking only minutes—ideal for busy polling locations and varying jurisdictions.

Project Results

Our company successfully delivered a cost-effective, high-integrity solution on time and under budget. The new voting system—including our advanced ballot box liner—was deployed in several local elections and performed flawlessly. No incidents of tampering were reported, and election officials praised the system’s security, simplicity, and speed.

This project exemplifies how industrial textile innovation can reinforce one of democracy’s most fundamental processes—ensuring every vote is counted and protected.

Relevant Articles:
• Journal of User Experience, How Hard Can It Be to Place a Ballot Into a Ballot Box? Usability of Ballot Boxes in Tamper Resistant Voting Systems by Grant
Belton, Philip Kortum, and Claudia Ziegler Acemyan, August 2015

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