Electronic Poll Books
Overview
On Sept. 5, 2024, the State Board of Elections unanimously approved the Electronic Poll Book System Certification Program for North Carolina. It’s the first comprehensive electronic poll book (EPB) program in state history.
The program describes the process for vendors seeking certification of an EPB for use in North Carolina elections and ensures compliance with state law and administrative rules.
What is an Electronic Pollbook?
An electronic poll book is a system — including hardware, software, and firmware — used at polling places and early voting sites to check the registration of voters who appear to vote in person, to assign voters their correct ballots, and to make a record associated with each voter who checked in and received a ballot for a given election.
As of 2025, all 100 counties use EPBs to check in voters for in-person early voting, and most counties use EPBs or a combination of electronic and paper poll books for Election Day voting. For details on Election Day poll book use in North Carolina counties, see Election Day Voting Technology by County.
North Carolina’s Electronic Poll Book Certification Program
Under state law, only EPBs certified by or developed and maintained by the State Board can be used in elections. (See Voting systems: powers and duties of State Board (N.C.G.S. § 163-165.7).)
The certification program describes the process for vendors seeking to certify their EPBs. The standards and procedures for certification are found in two rules in the administrative code. (See Standards for Certification of Electronic Poll Books (08 NCAC 04 .0401) and Procedures for Certification of Electronic Poll Books (08 NCAC 04 .0402).) In general, the program:
- Provides the State Board’s interpretation of the legal and functional requirements for EPB systems.
- Ensures that EPB vendors, as well as county boards of elections, comply with North Carolina laws and rules relating to the certification, sale, acquisition, use, and maintenance of poll book systems.
- Describes how the State Board evaluates changes and updates to already certified EPB systems.
- Ensures a streamlined process for the suspension and decertification of certified systems as necessary.
Certification requires vendors to meet the following elements, among others:
- Post a bond or letter of credit to cover damages resulting from defects in the EPB. Damages may include, among other items, any costs of conducting a new election attributable to those defects.
- Place information in escrow as required by state law, similar to the same requirements for voting machines.
- Provide a statewide uniform price for each unit of equipment.
Electronic poll books must also go through extensive testing before being certified for use in elections in North Carolina by the State Board and being used in an election by a county board of elections:
- The EPB will go through federal compliance testing with an independent testing authority to demonstrate that the system meets applicable federal requirements for EPBs, including the applicable requirements found in the most current version of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Certification Requirements (VEPBCR).
- Then the EPB will go through state certification testing with the State Board to evaluate the design and performance of the system to ensure that it complies with all applicable requirements in North Carolina General Statutes and Administrative Codes, and the State Board’s Certification Program.
- Finally, the EPB will go through acceptance testing with a county board of elections that is purchasing or leasing the system. Acceptance testing makes sure that the system delivered to a county board of elections is identical to the one that was certified by the State Board and operates in good working condition.