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Alton delays purchase of electronic poll books, approves elections budget
Summary
Alton's election officials recommended electronic poll books to speed check-in and reduce checklist errors, but selectmen deferred purchase amid tight town finances and approved the elections/registration budget excluding the devices.
Alton's chief election official presented two electronic poll-book options to the Board of Selectmen on Nov. 12, saying the devices (one vendor based on iPad, another on a small notebook computer) can speed voter check-in to 15–20 seconds per voter and reduce checklist errors.
The cost presented for the poll-book hardware and support was about $12,500 for the town this year, plus ongoing maintenance and programming fees (about $300 per unit per year and $300 per election for programming). The moderator and clerk emphasized that the systems have offline safeguards (local thumb-drive copies of the checklist and the paper audit trail) and vendor technical support in the state.
Several selectmen praised the accuracy and security benefits but said the current fiscal climate and projected tax-rate impacts made this year an inopportune time to add the expense. The board asked staff to explore alternative funding sources and agreed to revisit the devices next year. In the meantime the board approved the 2026 elections and registration budget at $20,207, with the poll-book purchase line removed.
What happens next: Staff and the moderator will continue to evaluate funding options and the moderator may present a demo or updated proposal for the board at a future meeting.
