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Boston officials say poll‑pad rollout and mandatory training eased 2025 election operations
Summary
Department leaders told councilors that electronic poll books were used at 274 locations and that mandatory in‑person training and on‑site IT checks cut connectivity problems in 2025; they cautioned that time‑savings estimates came from internal studies, not full field trials.
At a May 14 Ways and Means hearing, Boston Elections Department leaders described technology and training changes they say improved operations after problems in 2024. Paul Chung and Sabino Piemonte emphasized broad deployment of electronic poll books, mandatory hands‑on training for poll workers and pre‑election device testing.
Chung said electronic poll books were used at 274 locations and reported no connectivity failures in the department’s tests, noting staff went to each polling site to test Wi‑Fi ahead of Election Day. Piemonte said the department required mandatory in‑person training for every poll worker who would use the electronic check‑in system and that the city organized additional on‑site support — including cadets from the Boston Fire Department in the morning — to ensure sites were ready.
Councilors asked how the department measured efficiency gains from poll pads and the newer “poll pod” configurations. Piemonte said time savings were estimated using internal time‑study comparisons between manual paper check‑in and electronic look‑ups but acknowledged those were estimates rather than large‑scale field trials. Officials also noted that call center support from 311 and cross‑department volunteers helped reduce response times; staff reported that calls from poll workers were answered in under seven seconds, on average, in November 2025.
Officials cautioned that tabulation machines remain finite‑life assets: the machines in use were purchased in 2019 and have a typical life expectancy of 10–12 years, and any future purchases would require procurement and certification by the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Councilors asked how machine age intersects with possible ranked‑choice voting implementation; officials said the department would plan for equipment needs if the Legislature approves ranked‑choice voting and otherwise pursue procurement through standard certification channels.
No formal procurement decisions were made at the hearing; department leaders said they expect to return with further details if the city pursues equipment replacement.
