Clerk: Technology will speed up elections

Pettis County Clerk Nick La Strada is hoping a new tool will help reduce lines and waiting time for voters beginning with the April 2 municipal election.
La Strada debuted his office’s set of six new Poll Pads — iPads that contain complete voter rolls and are able to scan any state-issued photo identification cards — which will eventually replace the sometimes multi-volume voter rolls that poll workers currently use to check in voters on election day.
“I think this is really going to speed up the process and make our elections more efficient,” La Strada said.
The devices, paid for through a state grant, will be deployed to all Sedalia precincts and larger voting locations such as Prairie Township, La Strada said.
Voters at those locations may present their photo IDs to poll workers, who can scan the bar code on the back to call up the voters registration information and signature. Those voting without photo IDs can be found by typing in their names. After being verified by poll workers, the voter may then use the tip of their finger or an electronic pen to sign their names.
The device also has space for Democratic and Republican election judges to initial each voting record.
After an election is complete, the device can then be connected to computers in the clerk’s office to download the information. La Strada said that feature would help speed up the certification of elections.
Hard copy voter rolls will also be available at polling places in case there is a problem with the Poll Pad.
On Wednesday, La Strada also conducted the pre-election voting machine test, with Pettis County Auditor Connie Purchase, a Republican, and Pettis County Assessor’s Office employee Sheryl Von Holten, a Democrat, served as judges for the test.
The clerk’s office will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 30 for in-person absentee voting.
Polls will open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. for the April 2 municipal election.
For more information, call the clerk’s office at 826-5000, ext. 918.