Training starts on election system

Training began today, Friday, on the new electronic pollbooks to be used for the first time in Grundy County during the Nov. 4 election. Grundy County Clerk Lana Phillips explained the electronic pollbook will eventually replace the paper ballot applications, but not for this election. It also puts Grundy County in position to do same-day voter registration, if that is eventually adopted in Illinois. Several states already allow people to register and vote on the same day. “This puts us ahead of the game,” Phillips said. “I think we are one of the first counties (in Illinois) to use this.” A grant of almost $64,000 from the state will cover most of the cost of the system. The county board approved spending up to $5,000 above the state grant, but the actual cost to the county will probable be about one-half that amount. The electronic pollbook is actually software, Phillips said, and the election judges in the polling places will have laptop computers. When a voter enters the polling place, the election judge will get their name and call it up on the computer. The election judge will be able to see what the correct ballot for that voter is, as well as their signature. On Nov. 4, voters will still have to sign the paper ballot application, as they have in the past. An attachment to the laptop will allow the election judge to program the necessary access card for those who want to use the touch-screen voting machines. Other voters can still get a ballot they mark by hand. According to information provided to the county board previously, the cost of the electronic pollbook software and training was about $37,000. The cost of the laptop computers was $19,785. Early voting will start on Oct. 14, and the electronic pollbook will be in use.