§201.225
Electronic Poll Pads Are Optional According to Minnesota Statutes
In late September, 2024, one Minnesota city—Oak Grove, in Anoka County—passed a resolution to not use electronic poll pads, and instead use paper poll books to check in voters. (A previous post gave commentary on that decision.)
Unlike the usage of electronic tabulation equipment (such as an ES&S DS200), made a requirement by the 93rd Minnesota Legislature, electronic poll pads are optional.
This post offers video readings of relevant subdivisions from Minnesota Statute §201.225 relating to authority, internet connectivity, data access capability, and more.
Feel free to share this with any legislators, city councils, town boards, and advocates interested in discovering what the current election codes refer to as electronic rosters, currently in Minnesota provided by KNOWiNK, which acquired BPro in 2021. While similar poll pads offered by KNOWiNK in 2016 were hacked into by the Mayor of St. Bonifacius (Hennepin County), the vendor's current product is nevertheless certified by the Minnesota Secretary of State.
Per statute, paper poll books must always be present at voting precincts. In the 2022 midterm elections, a number of counties used paper poll books. (Click to view map).
Common Electronic Poll Pad Questions
The following videos reference the Minnesota Statutes to answer these frequently asked questions.
- Who has the authority to decide whether electronic poll pads are used?
- Are electronic poll pads connected to the internet?
- What do electronic rosters offer on election day?
- How should the Office of the Secretary of State be notified if a decision is made to opt out of using electronic rosters?
- Is it possible (and allowable) for these KNOWiNK iPads to access voter data outside of the precinct in which they are being used on election day?