BOE considers electronic poll books
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ST. CLAIRSVILLE -- The Belmont County Board of Elections may conducting 2020 polling with some new technology.
On Wednesday, board members saw a demonstration of new electronic poll books. Keith Cunningham, a representative of KnowInk Innovate Election Solutions, gave a presentation and answered questions. A full board of Robert Quirk, Lois Doneson, Michael Shaheen, Frankie Carnes, Director Kelly McCabe and Deputy Director Aaron Moore heard him.
"This is really more than a poll book. It becomes an election management tool," Cunningham said, pointing out features including inventory tracking and Election Day ballot and poll worker management features to assist in the process. He added that the technology is compatible with all voting machines currently in use in Ohio.
Cunningham said the software is housed in an iPad for ease of use.
"All of our data is encrypted at rest, in transit, wherever it is," he said.
He said the program would list permissible forms of identification for the poll workers and other prompts to guide those workers through the process. To avoid missed signatures, the program cannot proceed without a signature.
"It's designed to be used in a multi-precinct location," he said, adding that the app automatically updates a voter's history. Other functions include listing the status of absentee voters should someone who has been issued an absentee ballot show up at a voting station.
Shaheen and Moore asked if the software had similar issues to problems experienced on a prior occasion when the board had attempted to employ electronic poll books.
"Our first and biggest problem was the connection of multiple precincts. We had a lot of dropped connections," Moore said.
Cunningham said the poll books have not experienced that problem, adding that the devices make workers aware of when the books are in communication. He added that up to 20 iPads can be in communication in the same room.
He also answered questions about available support and ease of use. In answer to a question from Doneson, Cunningham said every process is documented.
"We've got documentation on everything," he said.
"What we've attempted to do here in all of the scenarios is take all of the logic and decision-making out of the poll workers' hands and put it in the pads," Cunningham said, adding that the devices are designed to anticipate the needs of election officials. "We're now in 37 counties in Ohio. Feel free to call any one of them."
In answer to another question from Doneson, he said none of the counties has discontinued use of the system.
Cunningham said the cost per unit would be $1,235 for a total of more than $60,000 should the board choose to purchase more than 50 units. He added that a unit would consist of a poll book, a printer, a scanning tray, a stand and charging cords. He said it would be a closed network working from a router at the board of elections office.
Afterward, Shaheen said the board might make a decision by its May meeting.
"I'm extremely excited about the potential for that product. I always was in favor of the concept, but there were so many glitches with the old one, it kind of soured all of us. It seems like this product has taken into consideration all of our concerns, all of the potential pitfalls, and I am very much looking to move forward with it," he said.
"It seems to work very well for what we need," McCabe said, adding that there would be poll books in every voting location.
"Depending on how many registered voters per location would depend how many of those poll books per location," she said.
The board also approved a new phone system from Agile Networks for $4,800 for its new location at the former site of The Health Plan in St. Clairsville. McCabe said the board expects to begin moving in by early June.
In other matters, McCabe reported that the board's budget for 2020 will be $1,218,000, covering the presidential primary and the general election. She said this is about average.