diff --git a/helios/utils.py b/helios/utils.py
index 2db3dd772f27c9cc378688cbf629b3472cd6ea78..d053dc11fec961d94b6edeee4879826107622d5c 100644
--- a/helios/utils.py
+++ b/helios/utils.py
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ Ben Adida - ben@adida.net
 """
 
 import urllib, re, sys, datetime, urlparse, string
-import threading
+
+import boto.ses
 
 # utils from helios_auth, too
 from helios_auth.utils import *
@@ -154,8 +155,8 @@ from django.core import mail as django_mail
 def send_email(sender, recpt_lst, subject, body):
   # subject up until the first newline
   subject = subject.split("\n")[0]
+
   django_mail.send_mail(subject, body, sender, recpt_lst, fail_silently=True)
-  
 
   
 ##
diff --git a/helios/views.py b/helios/views.py
index 388fa99e3106831ede74c715a3237fd54c472994..44002dafc68765e60dcbf2164eb144ce33d7b841 100644
--- a/helios/views.py
+++ b/helios/views.py
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ Your trustee dashboard is at
 Helios  
 """ % (election.name, url)
 
-  send_mail('your trustee homepage for %s' % election.name, body, settings.SERVER_EMAIL, ["%s <%s>" % (trustee.name, trustee.email)], fail_silently=True)
+  helios_utils.send_email(settings.SERVER_EMAIL, ["%s <%s>" % (trustee.name, trustee.email)], 'your trustee homepage for %s' % election.name, body)
 
   logging.info("URL %s " % url)
   return HttpResponseRedirect(settings.SECURE_URL_HOST + reverse(list_trustees_view, args = [election.uuid]))
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 02d47dce17742e18525077a724628defc36283f3..fa99dcffc067dfcf93370f7f9dd67d72167c7f45 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -20,3 +20,5 @@ webtest==2.0.7
 django-db-pool==0.0.10
 django-secure==0.1.2
 bleach==1.4
+boto==2.27.0
+django-ses==0.6.0
diff --git a/settings.py b/settings.py
index 5c90c6a36ecfb5e8a7524b7b3ef78a89904d18ea..9734e438850edefd28f9dc45e0ee63a84134badd 100644
--- a/settings.py
+++ b/settings.py
@@ -231,6 +231,12 @@ EMAIL_HOST_USER = get_from_env('EMAIL_HOST_USER', '')
 EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD = get_from_env('EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD', '')
 EMAIL_USE_TLS = (get_from_env('EMAIL_USE_TLS', '0') == '1')
 
+# to use AWS Simple Email Service
+# in which case environment should contain
+# AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID and AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY
+if get_from_env('EMAIL_USE_AWS', '0') == '1':
+    EMAIL_BACKEND = 'django_ses.SESBackend'
+
 # set up logging
 import logging
 logging.basicConfig(