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LISBON -- When Columbiana Countians show up to vote in the November election they will sign in using an electronic pollbook, a process similar to swiping a credit card in the check-out line at your local supermarket.
The Columbiana County elections board voted Tuesday to switch to e-pollbooks starting with the November general election, a move they say will speed things up on election day.
"It makes for an easier, faster and simpler system" for voters and poll workers alike, said elections board Director Adam Booth.
Under the current system, those who show up at the polls on election day must produce a form of identification and then sign the pollbook, with their signature and address then compared to what is in the binder that holds the paperwork on people registered to vote in that particular precinct.
With e-pollbooks, voters will hand their driver's license to the pollworker, who will swipe it through an iPad outfitted with a card-reading device. After the person's voting information pops up, the voter is then asked to write his signature electronically using a stylus or their finger. Once the signature is verified, the voter will be issued a paper ballot. Those without a drivers license must still produce some accepted form of identification before signing in.
According to proponents, e-pollbooks are a quicker way for voters to sign in on election day. This is expected to be a significant benefit in big cities and large counties, where there are often long lines during presidential elections, but Booth said it will speed things along for them too. Other Ohio counties that have switched to e-pollbooks say it has reduced the average sign-in time to less than 30 seconds.
E-pollbooks will also save money by reducing paper costs, and Booth said it will improve efficiency by allowing them to update voter information much quicker.
The elections board intends to purchase 95 e-pollbooks -- one for each of the 87 precincts in the county and eight extra to serve as back ups. The cost is $135,000, with the Ohio Secretary of State providing $109,000 from a fund set aside to help counties make the switch. The contract is for three years, and Booth said it will cost them another $11,875 annually in the second and third years for system maintenance and support.
The contract is with KNOW iNK, the St. Louis firm that created the Poll Pad pollbook system using iPads.
While the board was unanimous in support of the change, members David Johnson and Larry Bowersock expressed some reservation should the day come when the e-pollbooks become interconnected through the Internet. Right now, each is a stand-alone unit, but Booth said there is talk of linking with the secretary of state to allow for voting turnout to be monitored live.
"It is a concern when there are groups on both sides who want to manipulate the election," Johnson said.
While Booth said the system could not be hacked, Bowersock was not so sure, saying once Internet access is available, anything's possible.
Johnson agreed. "The sophistication of these hackers is amazing," he said.