Coffee stains, bad penmanship, rips, tears and lots of folds and crinkles. From elections office staff to candidates to campaign volunteers, anyone who has worked an election knows what a mess ballot petitions can be. That’s why the Denver Elections Division has come up with what’s believed to be a first-in-the-nation way to gather signatures that is fast, efficient and coffee stain free. Beginning with the qualifying process for municipal elections this May, the office is test piloting a program that allows candidates to use a tablet and stylus to gather ballot petition signatures. “This cutting edge application has the potential to transform the petition process – providing easier access to the ballot and efficiencies never seen before in this country,” said Denver Clerk & Recorder Debra Johnson. “For years the hallmark of Denver Elections has been innovation and progress – 2015 will be no different. This bold approach has one thing in mind: our customers.” eSign, as the office is calling new application, allows circulators to gather signatures on a tablet that is registered with the Elections Division.
“We verify every signature on every petition,” said Alton Dillard, spokesman for the Denver Elections Division. “Think of eSign as petition marking device similar to a ballot-marking device. The printed pages go through the same legally required signature verification process that paper petitions go through.”
The app allows circulators to verify the voter registration of the signer before collecting the signature and keeps a running tally of the number of signatures collected.
Tablets can be “borrowed” from the Elections Division for a $375 deposit or campaigns may register personal iPads with the Elections Division and download the app to gather signatures.
Full Article: electionlineWeekly.