The County of Nevada

Clerk Recorder/Registrar of Voters

Gregory J. Diaz

Trading in the Paper

Nevada Countys Electronic Poll
Book Journey
February 17, 2015

Prepared by:
Gregory J. Diaz - County Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters
Sandra Sjoberg Assistant Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters
Stacy Fisher Clerk-Recorder Assistant II/ Poll Book Project Lead
Alfred G. Kildow - Editor

The digital age has changed the way people around the world process information. So, too,
has digital evolution changed the way elections are conducted in Nevada County, according
to Clerk-Recorder Gregory J. Diaz.
The careful introduction of Electronic Poll Books (e-poll books) in the county has already
benefitted voters, taxpayers and the team of election workers who run the polls, tabulate
the votes and assure that the elections are conducted lawfully.
But Diaz observes: The best is yet to come. There will be a continuing adoption of
advanced technologies here in our county as they are tested and approved, and before long
we will have elections that will ease and even increase participation by voters, as well as
make the efforts of election workers easier and result in greater precision.
Costs will continue to go down, and our ability to discover voter fraud will be enhanced,
benefitting all county taxpayers.
The evolutionary pathway chosen by Diaz, his staff and county officials was both cautious
and trailblazing. By carefully observing and analyzing how three other counties in
California had moved into utilizing e-poll books (including observing on site the November
2013 election in Humboldt County) and studying how e-poll books are adopted across the
country, Nevada County has moved forward quickly to capitalize on the birth of a
competitive marketplace.
Under California election law, rosters with names of all registered voters in each precinct
must be available for viewing at precinct polling places. Historically, these were paper
records, compiled by hand and printed out weeks in advance, with a supplemental roster
that was printed approximately five days before Election Day. All of the paper documents
were distributed by hand to each polling place. Meanwhile, iPads and other e-tablets were
gaining wide usage in many fields. Before long, a number of companies began developing
software that would enable the use of e-tablets for the many and varied tasks involved in
conducting elections.
Diaz found several companies selling e-poll books and related software dedicated to the
elections process. Some were trusted vendors who were conducting business with the
elections department. But there was a catch: the books and software were very expensive.
Too expensive for the county, Diaz concluded.
At the same time, he recognized that e-poll book technology offered much beyond just
listing names digitally instead of on paper. The e-poll books could reduce errors, prevent
voter fraud, speed voter check-in, accelerate reporting of election results and eliminate
hours of manual labor during the post-election canvass.
And Diaz, with his team, found a way to move cautiously, while eliminating the high upfront costs associated with the adoption of e-poll books.
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For the June 2014 Primary Election, Diaz negotiated pilot programs with two vendors that
would compete for efficiency and costs. The vendors supplied a combined total of 25 e-poll
books at a very low cost to the county including hardware, software and on-site support.
There were challenges to be faced because the new technology required a steep learning
curve for elections staff and poll workers. The pilot was successful because the Nevada
County Elections staff enthusiastically embraced learning the setup processes, testing and
training.
Both vendor programs worked well, yielding such benefits as the ability to redirect voters
to correct polling locations quickly, uploading the voter rolls into the e-poll books a day
before the election, much easier and more accurate election night reconciliation at the
polling places, and reduced number of provisional votes, to name a few.
Diaz and his team selected a company named Everyone Counts to provide e-poll book
software for future Nevada County elections. The contract was affordable for the Elections
Department as it allowed the department to purchase off the shelf hardware (Samsung
Galaxy Note 10.1 tablets), which were then loaded with Everyone Counts software.
Everyone Counts has broad experience in United States elections, as it pertains to overseas
and military voters, as well as international experience with elections around the world.
Everyone Counts is in the process of having its voting system certified for use in California.
But the upcoming November 2014 General Election would present another challenge.
Nevada County would be only the fourth California County to utilize e-poll books
countywide. Again, it took a dedicated effort from election staff; the post-election analysis
was encouraging:

Expedient uploading of voter information pre-election; reducing the quantity and

costs of supplemental rosters
Faster check-in of voters
Ability to easily redirect voters to the correct polling location, reducing the number
of provisional ballots issued
Substantially fewer phone calls from puzzled poll workers because of built-in
prompts for poll workers
Easier Election Day for poll workers with smoother (and shorter) nighttime
accounting and balancing of ballots resulting in faster reporting of election results
Capture of local data to produce effective post-election reports
Expedient uploading of voter information post-election
Ten to fifteen percent reduction of overall election costs

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The bottom line, according to Diaz, was not just the bottom line, although the
introduction of the e-poll books is directly associated with a reduction in costs and labor
which will be fully realized over time. More importantly, it was the promise of the near and
not-so-near future. The landscape of elections is changing and the county has invested in a
technology that is flexible in its ability to grow in conjunction with this changing landscape.
Within two years, California will have adopted two new programs: same-day voter
registration and VoteCal, the latter a state-wide voter registration database.
The adoption of same-day registration means that when prospective voters show up to
vote but records do not show they are registered, they can go to the Elections Office where
they can register and vote on the spot. Use of the VoteCal registration database will assure
that no one votes more than once in a California election. Changes such as these are
indicative that in the near future, increased technology will become a necessity in the
operations of accurate elections.
One unforeseen benefit of the e-poll books is that the elections staff was able to gather
more local data from the polling locations than previously, making it possible to quickly
create detailed post-election reports. These reports will permit better management of
polling places by providing instant data to guide deployment of resources, i.e. staffing,
machines, etc. A sample of one of the post-election reports is attached.
The new electronic systems provide the ability to directly communicate with polling
locations through each e-tablet or other device. This capability will allow elections staff to
answer any questions in real time and keep track of the progress at polling locations
throughout the day via a virtual dashboard. Staff will be able to manage ballot inventory
(learn of potential shortages in advance) and issue notices and directives straight to the
polling places. This function will enable the Elections office to influence and oversee the
activities of polling locations across the county.
Every election offers the opportunity to learn, Diaz said. The laws are changing and we
have no choice but to comply while maintaining the integrity of our processes. E-poll
books offer maximum benefits as well as the flexibility to assure that our investment will
always comply with those thick chapters of California Elections Code that regulate our
actions.
Development of the ultimate e-poll book process is not complete. Like iPhones and etablets, the system will be revised and improved in the years ahead, yielding products that
will continue to improve the election experience, safeguarding elections for poll workers,
voters and our elections team.
And I am proud to say that Nevada County is in the vanguard in assuring that elections are
fair, efficient, accurate and safe.
For more information please contact Stacy Fisher at
stacy.fisher@co.nevada.ca.us

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Nevada County Polling Place Statistics

November 4, 2014 General Election

Property of Nevada County. Provided by Everyone Counts, Inc. (2014)

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