The Miami County Board of Elections will be receiving the long talked about electronic poll books.

The county commission March 29 approved the purchase and agreed to pay upfront for the 100 Express Poll Tablets for $169,665. The county will be reimbursed by the state for $119,013.

The electronic poll books are designed to replace the paper poll books now used at each voting site. The electronic versions are intended to reduce the number of errors on Election Day and allow for more efficiencies. For example, the electronic books will reconcile election files with updates on who voted in the most recent election in about 20 minutes as opposed to the task that now takes two weeks by hand.

Bev Kendall, elections director, told commissioners 85 poll books would be placed in voting precincts while the others will be in the elections office. Poll workers will receive training on using the poll books, which will be used in the June election.

The poll books will allow the elections office to use three instead of four precinct workers at the June election but plans are to return to the traditional four workers at each precint for the November presidential election.

Commissioner John “Bud” O’Brien asked Kendall to provide the commission with updates on the arrival of the poll books, worker training and the implementation.