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What to know about electronic pollbooks, which Pa. counties use them, and more
Spotlight PA link: https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2024/03/pennsylvania-electronic-pollbook-voter-registration-election-2024-explainer/
HARRISBURG — As Pennsylvania prepares for the 2024 presidential election, voters may start hearing about a new piece of technology rolling out in more and more counties: electronic pollbooks.
E-pollbooks, as they are commonly called, replace the paper booklets that contain voter registration information that people generally see when they sign in at their polling place on election day. This updated tech doesn’t change the voter experience much. Instead of signing their names in the booklets, voters in counties that use e-pollbooks do the same thing on electronic tablets.
But behind the scenes, the differences are significant.
E-pollbooks make election day operations much easier for poll workers and speed up key processes. But like most election technology, they are potentially vulnerable to hacking if officials do not have safeguards in place. When Lancaster County piloted e-pollbooks last year, poll workers praised them, but at least one county commissioner said he was wary of fully implementing them, in part, because of cybersecurity concerns.
- more at link -
E-pollbooks, as they are commonly called, replace the paper booklets that contain voter registration information that people generally see when they sign in at their polling place on election day. This updated tech doesn’t change the voter experience much. Instead of signing their names in the booklets, voters in counties that use e-pollbooks do the same thing on electronic tablets.
But behind the scenes, the differences are significant.
E-pollbooks make election day operations much easier for poll workers and speed up key processes. But like most election technology, they are potentially vulnerable to hacking if officials do not have safeguards in place. When Lancaster County piloted e-pollbooks last year, poll workers praised them, but at least one county commissioner said he was wary of fully implementing them, in part, because of cybersecurity concerns.
Security is definitely a concern. But my biggest problem with this update is the fact that voters are asked to electronically "sign" the pollbook on the data screen with a wand or a finger. You know, it's like when you electronically sign for your drivers' license? When you use your finger and squiggle a "signature" to authorize an electronic check at the grocery store? To me it's no signature at all, nor is it proof of ID.
When I've gone for my drivers' license renewal I've had to sign that computer screen 5 or 6 times, and it never looks like my real signature. Never! I'm left-handed and those screens are made for right-handed people. The wand that you use to "sign" is nothing like a real pen that I sign on paper with. As a result I cannot use my drivers' license to prove my ID because it looks nothing like my real signature. Luckily I have a US Passport which I use to prove my ID, always.
The electronic signature screens are terrible innovation and they can lead to voter fraud/abuse down the line. It's one more reason why I will continue to vote by mail and not in person, for as long as I live in Pennsylvania.
4 replies
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Like I mentioned above, the signature on my license doesn't look like my real signature anyway. That's why I never use my PADL for identification purposes, I use my US passport.
I was afraid to ever show mine, because I thought anyone could copy it or fake a new one with a different signature.
I don't know, maybe I'm paranoid, but my brother had something like that happen to him. Wallet stolen, drivers license taken, fake signature used to steal money from his bank account. etc.
