E-Poll Book System

Anoka County voters will check in at their voting precincts using a secure electronic poll book system which offers a more accurate and efficient check-in and registration process on Election Day. Also known as e-poll books, the technology has been in use in several Minnesota counties since 2016 and Anoka County is just one of many more counties moving forward with implementation in 2018. 

The e-poll books replace the paper check-in process and instead use iPads with the voter rosters electronically loaded onto them. Minnesota laws and rules that guide the process on Election Day remain the same, but the tools used to perform those tasks will now be automated. 

Differences of E-Polling

 All voters throughout Anoka County will experience the following differences:

  • Election judges will check-in registered voters via iPad, rather than paper roster binders.
  • Election judges will register new voters via iPad, rather than paper forms.
  • Voters can choose any line to check-in; they no longer need to find a specific line designated by their last name.
  • Voters will sign their name on a small slip of paper, rather than in the roster binder.

Benefits

Benefits to the election process include:

  • After the election, officials are able to directly upload Election Day vote history and registration data into the state system rather than performing manual data entry off paper forms, which can take months to complete.
  • Election Day registration information is captured electronically and the system is able to scan some information directly from a driver’s license.
  • More accurate check-in - the e-poll book system prevents voters from accidentally signing on the wrong line.
  • More efficient check-in - there’s no need to flip through pages of voter rosters.
  • System helps election judges by walking them through each step of the check-in and registration processes, virtually eliminating administrative errors.

E-Poll Book Usage

The voter registration information in the e-poll books is never connected to the ballot counting machines or results reporting process. The two systems function independently of each other and never share information. On average, each polling place will have four e-poll books, but that will vary dependent on the size of the precinct. 

Across the country, jurisdictions in at least 34 states currently use e-poll books. Anoka County’s specific e-poll book product, the KNOWiNK Poll Pad, has been used in 23 states and over 8 million voters were processed using the system in 2016.