Ballots sent out

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January 11th - Sharpen your pencils Academy members: The nomination ballots for the 72nd Academy Awards® were mailed today to the 4,164 California-based voting members of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Voting members who reside outside the state of California and overseas were mailed their ballots last Friday. The deadline for nomination ballot returns is Friday, February 4, at 5:00 p.m. (PST).

What happens then? All nomination and final awards ballots will be tabulated by PricewaterhouseCoopers under the watchful eyes of partners Greg Garrison and Lisa Pierozzi, who go to extraordinary lengths to ensure that fairness and accuracy are integral parts of the balloting process. A variety of means are used to make sure that there are no duplicate ballots, none missing and that the correct ballots are returned. Each ballot form is numbered to prevent loss or theft and to guarantee that the form goes to the correct Academy voter.

"Since 1935, we have had the honor of being an important part of the Academy Awards process," Garrison said. quot;We take the balloting extremely seriously, and we're proud that the Academy has recognized our integrity and our dedication over the years." The 72nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced in the Samuel Goldwyn Theater at the Academy on Tuesday, February 15, at 5:30 a.m. (PST). Digital Hit will have complete coverage.