PEKIN, Ill. – New technology will be coming to polling locations in Tazewell County.
Clerk John Ackerman announced on Wednesday that the county has purchased electronic poll books to replace paper versions at polling locations, starting with next year’s primary elections.
Poll books contain voter information such as precinct location and their signature on file, and are used to verify a voter before they go to the voting booth.
Ackerman says at least two machines will be featured at each location. A person arriving at a polling location will sign in on an electronic tablet, and the election judge will look up the relevant information. A paper receipt will then print, and the voter is given their paper ballot to vote.
One of the features of the electronic poll book upgrades is to minimize the risk of people double voting, accidentally or not.
“Let’s say you voted by mail and you go to your precinct to vote. Previously, they marked on the piece of paper already voted, but you can overlook that when an election judge is tired and still issue a ballot. This screen will stop you, a ballot has already been issued and you can’t proceed any further,” Ackerman said.
An audit of the November 20-24 presidential elections revealed that two voters voted twice, attributed to human error in not catching that both early voted.
Ackerman says the machines are also secure, as they only connect to the internet only when information is uploaded to them on a secure line, and will not be connected online when outside of the office.
The machines are 100% funded through a $361,250 grant from the Illinois State Board of Elections. Ackerman says the county was going to have to purchase the upgrades, no matter what, and had planned to put the costs in its budget. But he says the office looked for grants that secured its funding.
Comments