Clear Ballot
Clear Ballot is a U.S. election technology vendor that provides paper-ballot imaging, ballot scanning/tabulation, adjudication workflows, and post-election audit and verification tools for election administrators.
Clear Ballot is a U.S. election technology vendor that provides paper-ballot imaging, ballot scanning/tabulation, adjudication workflows, and post-election audit and verification tools for election administrators.
Published Sep 19, 2026
| Starting Price | Not publicly listed; public reporting has cited implementation costs in the hundreds of thousands and ongoing annual costs in the low tens of thousands for example deployments | Not publicly listed (varies by jurisdiction) | Not publicly listed; public procurement examples have cited mid six-figure procurement costs in some instances |
| Best For | Jurisdictions prioritizing paper-ballot imaging workflows and verification/audit lineage; jurisdictions with significant vote-by-mail processing | Broad footprint; jurisdictions seeking integrated EMS, tabulators, and ballot-marking device options | Broad footprint; jurisdictions buying widely adopted EMS/tabulation and ballot-marking device ecosystem |
| Key Strength | Emphasis on auditable paper ballots, closed-network operation for certified products, and EAC-certified ClearVote releases | Large installed base and broad product portfolio | Large installed base, extensive procurement history, integrated offerings |
| Key Weakness | Limited presence on mainstream review platforms; pricing opacity; feature upgrades can be constrained by certification timelines | Public perception challenges in some jurisdictions; procurement complexity | Reported equipment/certification issues in the broader market; potentially higher procurement costs in some procurements |
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Clear Ballot, Dominion, and ES&S all participate in EAC certification processes. Differentiation often depends on workflow design (central count vs precinct, vote-by-mail focus), ballot image handling and adjudication user experience, service and support reputation, and state-level certification and local references.
Certification activity is a key competitive factor. Clear Ballot has multiple certified ClearVote releases listed by certification authorities, indicating continued certification activity.
Cost comparisons are procurement-specific: public procurement examples indicate election systems can range from hundreds of thousands to multi-million-dollar procurements depending on jurisdiction size and scope.
If a jurisdiction’s primary need is verification or auditing rather than replacing the entire voting system, independent audit tools may be a cost-effective alternative. Such tools typically require compatible data formats and may not replace certified tabulation systems where certification is legally required.