Although the devices won’t be ready in time for the Nov. 3 election, Lake and Geauga counties soon will be purchasing e-pollbooks, thanks to state aid. About $12.7 million in funding was appropriated in the state’s biennial budget passed in June to cover up to 85 percent of each county’s purchase cost. Funds will be distributed based on the number of voters in each county, according to a news release from Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted’s office. Counties were given the go-ahead to purchase e-pollbooks Sept. 14 from the Secretary of State’s office.
According to the National Conference of State Legislators, e-pollbooks typically allow poll workers to look up voters from the entire county or state, which reduces time spent checking in voters. It also allows poll workers to “easily redirect voters in the wrong location to the correct polling place.” Poll workers can be notified that a voter already voted absentee or during the early voting period and it allows voters to sign in electronically.
Ohio counties currently have seven approved e-pollbooks to choose from. Elections officials in Lake and Geauga counties are looking forward to implementing e-pollbooks, but it has yet to be determined which vendor they will choose and when the new systems will be in place.
… There are currently 21 counties in Ohio that use e-pollbooks, and these counties are also eligible to take part in the grant to recoup part of the costs associated with the upgrade, according to the news release.
Full Article: Counties to get state funds to help cover e-pollbook costs.