It's a bit of an 'off-label' use for ZipGrade, but it has been used successfully to read ballots for class officers. To start with, you'll need:
- The raw PNG file of the 20-question answer sheet (http://www.zipgrade.com/static/images/ZipGrade20QuestionRaw.png)
- A graphics editing program such as MS Paint, GIMP, or Photoshop
A Open the PNG file in the graphics program.
B Using the select and erase tools, remove:
- The Name box area
- The ABCDE headers
- The question numbers
- All the circles for B-E (leave the first column of circles in both rows)
C Next to the circles, put the name of the candidates
D Feel free to erase any circles needed to add meaningful headers or spacing
E Remove any un-used circles.
F. (optional) Once tested, try to fit two copies of the answer sheet on one 8.5x11 piece of paper to conserve paper.
Here is an example of a ballot used in PA:
https://twitter.com/ZipGrade/status/507214111927963648/photo/1
To 'grade' the ballots, create a quiz and set the answer key to be all 'A'. Scan the ballots as you would quizzes. Be cautious of double scanning. Use the item analysis page to get a quick tally for each candidate.
Please be sure to test and experiment. And ask students not to fold or bend their ballots.