Cass County is preparing its new pollbook equipment for the upcoming primary election. The county was forced to seek out a new pollbook vendor after its former provider declined to go through a new certification process brought on through recent changes made by the Indiana General Assembly. After considering several quotes, the Cass County Election Board decided to get the new electronic pollbooks from Hart InterCivic, out of Austin, Texas. It is the same company that provides the county’s electronic equipment voters use to cast their ballots. The cost of the new electronic pollbooks and training for them comes to about $35,000. It was paid for through funds in the Cass County Clerk’s budget specifically earmarked for election equipment awarded from a former vendor that went out of business several years ago.
Several Cass County officials were trained on the equipment last week. Representatives from Hart InterCivic will return in April to train the county’s poll workers.
Come election time, poll workers will use the electronic pollbooks at each of the county’s voting locations. Registered voters will present their state-issued ID to the poll worker, who will enter the information into the pollbook.
Cass County Clerk Beth Liming said the biggest change voters will notice is having to sign their name on an electronic signature pad.
When the poll worker has completed entering all of the voter’s information into the pollbook, a label will print out with the voter’s information, which they will take to the electronic voting equipment to cast their ballot.
Liming said there are changes poll workers will have to adapt to as well.
“Anytime there’s a change, it takes some adapting to get used to that change,” Liming said, adding that her desire is to minimize delays as much as possible.
Full Article: Cass County prepares for new e-pollbooks » Local News » Pharos-Tribune.