Voters who show up at some Minnesota polling places next month will encounter sign-in stations equipped with iPads or bar code scanners as part of an experiment designed to test whether more technology would cut wait times, save money and inspire more confidence in the election process. The electronic roster, or e-poll book, pilot project will take place in fewer than 10 cities and counties, but the results are being closely monitored by election officials across the state because lawmakers could broaden the technology’s use — if the price is right. On that score, a task force of lawmakers, elections administrators and others watching over the project met Wednesday to discuss programming challenges, hardware costs and data security. “We’re not rushing into this,” said Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, the state’s chief elections official. The rosters are an alternative to paper sign-in sheets at precincts. They contain the same type of information: registration data, an indication if someone already voted or has had a challenged registration status.
In 2012, Minnesota voters rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have required voters to show a photo ID to obtain a ballot. The electronic poll-book experiment was approved last spring and was framed by some as an option for better verifying voter eligibility by tapping into real-time information without imposing new restrictions.
John Medcalf, chief executive of San Diego-based Votec, a company that specializes in electronic roster systems, said the systems speed voters through polling stations.
“The poll workers will be very well served,” MedCalf told the task force, which has heard from several industry vendors in recent months. “It takes the stress out of the voter hovering over them waiting for them to find their name.”
The entities participating in the pilot are having most of their equipment supplied for free by vendors, who see the chance to land work if Minnesota leaders like what they see. Along the way, some vendors have given a glimpse of possible costs, with estimates ranging from around $1,100 per unit for equipment and software to as much as $6,800.
Full Article: Minn. gets ready for electronic voting roster test run as officials examine costs, benefits | Star Tribune.