JAMESTOWN – During today’s election in Fredonia, Chautauqua County Board of Elections will provide the very first state approved electronic poll book pilot. Currently voters in Chautauqua County sign in to vote using a pen and paper poll book that contains a digitized sample of the signatures of registered voters eligible to vote in an election. But recently, the New York State Board of Elections gave permission to Chautauqua County to test out two vendors who offer electronic poll books.
In today’s election Election Administrators, headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., will be demonstrating its’ product as part of the Fredonia election. Election Commissioner Brian Abram says that voters in Fredonia will sign in to vote just as they always have, only they will be signing their name on an electronic signature pad similar to what is used at stores.
Both Abram and fellow county election commissioner Norman Green say that the advantages of the electronic signature pad is an elimination of paper printing and an elimination of personnel time needed to produce paper poll books. Another advantage would be a drastic reduction in the time needed to update voter history, and to process name or address changes after an election.
The Board of Elections will test a second vendor at the Westfield Village election on March 19.
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