diff --git a/helios/models.py b/helios/models.py
index fcc85a63fc010badc52ee9fc7f09ea8dae358661..28f1dc6645646c52dfef0629a9773d254d7e5561 100644
--- a/helios/models.py
+++ b/helios/models.py
@@ -655,7 +655,7 @@ class VoterFile(models.Model):
       voter_stream = open(self.voter_file.path, "rU")
 
     #reader = unicode_csv_reader(voter_stream)
-    reader = unicodecsv.reader(voter_stream)
+    reader = unicodecsv.reader(voter_stream, encoding='utf-8')
 
     for voter_fields in reader:
       # bad line
@@ -685,7 +685,7 @@ class VoterFile(models.Model):
       voter_stream = open(self.voter_file.path, "rU")
 
     # reader = unicode_csv_reader(voter_stream)
-    reader = unicodecsv.reader(voter_stream)
+    reader = unicodecsv.reader(voter_stream, encoding='utf-8')
     
     last_alias_num = election.last_alias_num