Poll Pads should keep election lines moving

CONWAY — When voters in Conway, Bartlett, Jackson and Ossipee head to the polls for the Sept. 10 primary and Nov. 5 general elections, with the help of new “Poll Pads,” people should be able to check in to vote faster and more easily than in the past. The four towns are among 18 in the Granite State that will be using the iPads in place of poll books to check in voters.

They allow election workers to scan voters’ driver’s licenses or a state ID. Voters then get a receipt and take it to another table to be exchanged for a ballot.

“The new process streamlines voter check-in, reducing the time per customer to 10-15 seconds,” Bartlett Town Clerk Cheryl Nealley said Wednesday during a meeting with Conway Town Clerk Louise Inkell and Jackson Town Clerk Karen Burton at Bartlett Town Hall.

In Ossipee, Town Clerk Kellie Skehan has also made the move to Poll Pads.

“There will be no more alphabetical lines that people have to go to — they can go to whatever the shortest line is,” said Inkell.

Towns could apply to the Secretary of State’s Office for $3,500 in grants for either Poll Pads or vote tabulators.

Bartlett and Jackson will have two Poll Pads for the Sept. 10 election, while Conway has six. Inkell said five will be used for foot traffic and the sixth dedicated to entering absentee ballots.

In Jackson, the Poll Pads were used for the town/school elections on March 12 and got big thumbs-up from Burton, who said it is “a lot easier for everyone.”

Burton and Nealley demonstrated the process, with Nealley scanning a license after asking permission to do so.

Burton explained all ballot officials have to ask the voters for permission to scan their licenses. “It’s only scanning your name, no other information,” she said.

“All it gives is your name and address, that’s it,” added Nealley.

After the scan, a new screen pops up and asks voters what ballot they want — Democrat or Republican. The pad also lets officials know what town the individual is from and whether voting for the first time in that particular election.

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After selecting your ballot of choice, the election official then prints out what looks like a receipt, which includes the date of the election, check-in time stamp, voter ID number, voter’s last name, voter’s first name and middle initial, their physical address, political party on file and the ballot you want to vote that day.

You then hand the ticket to a ballot clerk where you will receive your ballot.

Voting from this point forward is the same as in recent elections. If you want to go back to “undeclared” as your party of choice, you have to sign an affidavit.

But as Nealley said: “The days of ‘A to K and ‘L to Z’ are no more. The lines should move much faster because you can go to whichever station is open (to get checked in).”

“We had training (Aug. 22), with the Poll Pads,” Skehan said. “We talked about the session at the end and our ballot clerks all commented on how much quicker and smoother everything went.”

“The system uses digital checklists and secure Bluetooth connections to prevent tampering,” said Inkell. “And they talk to each other. So you can’t come back around and go a different way. They communicate so we know on those devices that you already voted and shouldn’t be coming back.”

Bartlett and Hale’s Location will vote in the Sept. 10 primary election at the Bartlett Fire Station in Glen. Voting shifts to the Josiah Bartlett Elementary School for the Nov. 6 general (presidential election).

Conway will vote Sept. 10 at the town garage in Center Conway. Polling for the Nov. 6 election is scheduled to take place at Kennett High School. Jackson will vote at the Whitney Center for both elections. Ossipee will vote at the Town Hall at 55 Main St., Center. Ossipee. Polling hours for all four towns are from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“This election will be a good trial, a good practice for the presidential election,” said Burton.

Inkell added: “I believe it’s required by the Secretary of States that if we have this technology we have one election [to test it on] before the November election.”

“No new technology can be used for the general election, it has to be used prior,” Burton said.