Sun staff
Voters in Clermont County will be using new digital ballet scanners starting this November.
The county commissioners approved the purchase of 182 scanners on May 4. The scanners, which read individual ballots on Election Day, will be distributed throughout the county’s 166 precincts.
The new scanners will be easier for poll workers to use because ballot information is saved to a portable thumb drive, whereas the old scanners saved information to disks embedded in the machine, which meant poll workers had to transport the whole scanner.
The county will also be getting a larger high-speed ballot tabulation scanner that will be housed at the County Board of Elections. The high-speed scanner will be used to count absentee ballots as well as other counting tasks, such as testing, certification re-runs and recounts.
“This new unit will replace two of our current units,” said Clermont County Board of Elections Director Judy Miller.
All the new scanners, which will replace decade-old equipment, will cost the county about $1,015,000.
“By purchasing this new equipment, we will also have the security of knowing that we will be able to produce correct and accurate election results on election night and at the official certification,” said Miller
Commissioner David Uible thanked Miller and her team for their due diligence.
“We’re appreciative that you are working hard to install the best equipment possible at the best price.”
The County Board of Elections has also purchased new electronic poll books, which will be used in the November general election.
“The 2014 Presidential Commission, which is a bipartisan commission, recommended that every Board of Elections across the country upgrade to electronic poll books to eliminate the long lines at the polls and reduce overhead costs,” said Miller. “It also provides for better record keeping. “
Voters will sign using a scan of their driver’s license. The voter’s name and address will pop-up along with a signature box for the voter to sign in.
“It’s a fast and easy verification method,” added Miller.