Re: Absentee Header Cards? for GEMS

["Ken Clark" <ken@gesn.com>]

From: "Steve Knecht" <skglobal@earthlink.net>
To: <support@gesn.com>

> Based on discussions in Alameda, I believe customers will, in some cases,
> want to print absentee ballots by ballot style for inserting (thereby
> pulling from fewer groups and loading larger numbers into an inserter) and
> still track absentees by precinct by using precinct header cards for
central
> count absentee processing.
>
> Can the digital press process print absentee header cards with "sequential
> Header" numbers using variable data from GEMS to provide the precinct
number
> on the "header card" AND utilize the GEMS central count report that links
> precincts to "generic header cards".


Yep.

I wonder, though, how these ballots get physically sorted out by precinct
when they return.  What you have gained in logistics on the front end you
just lost on the back end.  If the precinct number is on the artwork, you
just feed it into central count and GEMS does the rest.

That notwithstanding, can you give us an idea of the time/money savings
Alameda is going to recognize by loading fewer groups into the inserter?  I
have no idea what inserter operators get paid, or how many operators Alameda
will get to lay off with this time-saving feature, but I guess its a lot?

> I doubt this email makes sense.

Makes perfect sense.

Ken