Electronic check-in will speed up elections for voters, poll workers

LACONIA — New this year for the City of Laconia’s Municipal Elections: electronic Poll Pads, meant to streamline the process for election workers as thousands of city residents flock to their respective polls on Tuesday, Nov. 4. 

The Poll Pad has been in use since 2012, and that use has become widespread over the last decade. More than 1,700 jurisdictions around the country use the devices in 36 states — here in New Hampshire, the Poll Pad is employed by 57 communities.

The electronic system assists election workers with end-of-day reconciliation by automatically tallying check-ins, removing the need for poll workers to manually reconcile paper check-in tallies at the end of an election altogether, saving hours of work and reducing the chance for human error. 

“The Poll Pad benefits election workers by significantly improving efficiency, accuracy, and communication during elections,” wrote Jeff Silvestro, president of LHS Associates of Salem, in response to inquiries. “The Poll Pad System replaces outdated paper-based voter check-in processes providing faster voter lookup and check-in, reducing wait times and keeps lines moving, resulting in a smoother experience for both voters and staff.”

LHS Associates provides electronic solutions for a myriad of municipal needs, including elections. LHS Associates partnered with KNOWiNK in the New England region in 2015. KNOWiNK was founded in 2011 by Scott Leiendecker, who formerly directed elections in St. Louis, Missouri, and sought to modernize the check-in process to eliminate long lines at polling stations.

“KNOWiNK takes security very seriously and has a strong and proactive security posture with no reported incidents to date,” Silvestro wrote when asked if the Poll Pads are secure.

City Clerk Katie Gargano said her office hosted training on the Poll Pad devices at the Laconia Fire Department on Oct. 21, where 55 election workers attended two sessions. A representative of LHS Associates led poll workers through the training session, where they practiced checking in voters ahead of the Municipal Election. At the end of the training, ward moderators and clerks went over the process to check in absentees. 

“It was a hands-on session,” she said. 

“Once they do a few of them, it becomes second nature.”

Gargano attended demonstrations of the devices at the office of the New Hampshire Secretary of State, and recognized the benefits they could provide to election workers. She had conversations about the Poll Pads with clerks in other communities across the Granite State, who provided positive reviews. 

“It makes it so much easier at the end of the night on our poll workers,” Gargano said. 

Laconia’s process of adopting the use of the devices began in 2024, after a municipal clerks conference in the fall. The city received a $20,000 grant to purchase some of the devices, and the rest were budgeted in 2025-26. They received 10 of the Poll Pads at no expense to the taxpayers, and paid for the remaining 14, for a total of 24.

For voters on Election Day, there will be few changes. They’ll show their identification, and will be asked to scan the barcode on the back, allowing poll workers to search for their first and last name on the checklist. If a voter declines to scan their ID, poll workers will enter their name manually. Voters will still need to announce their name and address. Once they’re checked in, voters will receive a receipt they’ll exchange for their ballot. 

If a voter accidentally shows up to the wrong polling station, the Poll Pad devices will print a receipt with the address and directions to their correct polling station, helping to prevent potential fraud by eliminating the risk of voters receiving ballots at more than one polling station. 

The Poll Pad devices eliminate the need for lines organized alphabetically at the polls, allowing for voters to enter “any line at any time.” 

“We’re stepping in the right direction,” Gargano said.