Legal Definitions - poll book

A poll book is an official record used during elections to manage and verify voter eligibility.

In its modern usage, a poll book contains a comprehensive list of all individuals who are registered and eligible to cast a ballot within a specific voting district or precinct. When a voter arrives at a polling place, election officials consult the poll book to confirm their registration status, verify their identity, and ensure they have not already voted elsewhere. Historically, before the introduction of the secret ballot, a poll book was also used to publicly record the names of individuals and the votes they cast, making their choices known to others.

While traditional poll books were paper-based binders, many jurisdictions now utilize electronic poll books (often called e-poll books). These digital systems offer enhanced efficiency, allowing poll workers to quickly access voter information, update records in real-time, and even redirect voters who have arrived at an incorrect polling location to their proper precinct.

Here are a few examples illustrating the use of a poll book:

• Imagine it's Election Day, and Ms. Chen arrives at her local community center to vote. She approaches the check-in table, where a poll worker asks for her name and address. The poll worker then opens a large, three-ring binder and scans through the alphabetical list of registered voters for that precinct. Upon finding Ms. Chen's name, the worker verifies her identity and marks her as having voted. This physical binder serves as the poll book, confirming Ms. Chen's eligibility and preventing her from voting multiple times.

• Mr. Davies moves to a new neighborhood just before an election but forgets to update his voter registration address. On Election Day, he goes to the polling place closest to his new home. When he presents his ID, the poll worker uses an electronic poll book on a tablet. The system quickly identifies that Mr. Davies is registered in a different precinct and provides the exact address and directions to his correct polling location. This demonstrates how an e-poll book can efficiently manage voter information across an entire jurisdiction and guide voters to the right place.

• Consider an election from the early 19th century, long before secret ballots were common. A local town meeting is held to elect a new mayor. As each eligible citizen steps forward to declare their vote aloud for a candidate, a designated clerk meticulously writes down their name and their chosen candidate in a large ledger. This ledger, openly recording who voted for whom, functioned as the poll book of that era, serving as the official record of the election's outcome.