poll book

A poll book is a list of all persons who are eligible and registered to vote. In the United Kingdom and the former British colonies, poll books are sometimes called “electoral rolls.”

Historically, before the introduction of secret (i.e., anonymous) ballots, the term also referred to the official register that poll workers would use to record votes. To cast votes, voters would have to publicly raise their hands and have their names recorded in a poll book.

In recent years, electronic poll books (or e-poll books) have been replacing traditional paper-based poll books, and most U.S. states now use electronic poll books. Poll workers can use electronic poll books to sign in voters and view voter turnout rates in real time. Some electronic poll books include ID scanners, which can be used to determine a voter’s designated polling place (and whether a voter has already voted at another polling place). There are some concerns, however, that e-poll books could be vulnerable to programming errors or security threats from cyber-attacks. See: U.S. Election Assistance Commission - Electronic Poll Book Report.