Electronic pollbook

An electronic pollbook, also known as an e-poll book, is typically either hardware, software or a combination of the two that allows elections officials to review and/or process voter information during an election but does not actually count votes. This software or hardware is used in place of paper-based poll books, which are typically three-ring binders. Often, the functions of an e-pollbook include voter lookup, verification, identification, precinct assignment, ballot assignment, voter history update and other functions such as name change, address change and/or redirecting voters to correct voting location.

Where this is deployed, it has both consolidated broad data (from entire city, county and/or federated state) into usable information at a polling place and has replaced a paper-based system or complemented the paper processes. This consolidation has replaced or supplemented a manual process, usually a telephone call, from a precinct back to the local or regional board of elections. Normally, the information handled by an e-pollbook is public information that can be found in public or online.

In 2006, at least two vendors had problems with e-pollbooks, including Diebold in Maryland in September 2006 and Sequoia Voting Systems in Denver, Colorado in November 2006.

Electronic poll books have grown in popularity in recent years as an alternative to cumbersome paper-based poll books. For example, in January 2014, the City of Chicago reached an agreement with Election Systems & Software to provide more than 2,100 ExpressPoll voter check-in and verification devices to support the city's 1.6 million registered voters. The e-pollbook system were first used in Chicago's 2014 primary elections.