Coshocton plans new voting technology for 2016 primary

COSHOCTON — Voters may notice faster lines on Election Day once county officials upgrade their polling technology, doing away with the thick poll books that hindered the process in favor of electronic tablets.

The Coshocton County Board of Elections hopes to make the switch to electronic poll books in time for next March’s primary election.

The electronic tablets would contain the voter file of the entire county, where 22,903 people are registered to vote, said Stephanie Slifko, director of the board of elections. Poll volunteers can type in names and search for the registered voter rather than flipping through a thick book.

Under the plan, proposed by Secretary of State Jon Husted, the traditional paper poll books would become a thing of the past.

Voters wouldn’t notice much a change on their part other than a shorter wait time, officials said. Upon check-in, they would provide their signature digitally on the tablet to get a printed vote slip.

If a voter goes to a wrong polling location, the tablet is able to identify which of the 35 polling locations in the county is the correct one. Depending on the vendor the county chooses, the tablet could even print out an address or directions to the proper location.

The state legislature appropriated $12.7 million in June to aid county governments in covering the cost of upgrading to the electronic system. It’s intended to cover 85 percent of the county’s costs.

Of Ohio’s 88 counties, 21 have already implemented the technology, including nearby Licking, Athens and Washington counties.

Although counties are not required to have the technology by November’s general election, Husted is encouraging all 88 Ohio counties to upgrade to electronic poll books by 2016’s presidential election.

elagatta@gannett.com

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Twitter: @EricLagatta