diff --git a/settings.py b/settings.py
index 3a4feee885835046044fc5f219883776722607b5..a6db8f4822480ee4cae266276ffb307977c715da 100644
--- a/settings.py
+++ b/settings.py
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ HELP_EMAIL_ADDRESS = get_from_env('HELP_EMAIL_ADDRESS', 'help@heliosvoting.org')
 AUTH_TEMPLATE_BASE = "server_ui/templates/base.html"
 HELIOS_TEMPLATE_BASE = "server_ui/templates/base.html"
 HELIOS_ADMIN_ONLY = False
-HELIOS_VOTERS_UPLOAD = True
+HELIOS_VOTERS_UPLOAD = (get_from_env('HELIOS_VOTERS_UPLOAD', 1) == 1)
 HELIOS_VOTERS_EMAIL = True
 
 # are elections private by default?