Since the voting process is such a hot topic in some areas of the state, the following article may be of interest.

• Voters in South Dakota were greeted with a host of new technology and voting options this week. Using a Sioux Falls school board race as a guinea pig, the state used electronic poll books and vote centers for the first time. The test-run drew nothing but praise from voters and officials. "In one word, I would characterize it as 'excellent,'” Secretary of State Jason Gant told the Argus Press. "It was just what we expected it to be." Instead of sending voters to 59 precincts in their respective neighborhoods, the school district used 10 schools as voting centers, allowing residents to cast their ballots at any of the 10, no matter where they lived in the city. And the electronic poll books replaced large paper volumes of voters' names, allowing election officials to scan a driver's license to more quickly verify people's eligibility to vote. Gant said there were numerous county auditors and city clerks from other communities in Sioux Falls to check out the new system. "Absolutely, this will take off in other places," said Gant, who said if the necessary legislation is brought and passed in the 2012 legislative session, "we should be able to start this in more and more communities across South Dakota."

I would love to hear your thoughts on voting centers and whether the Federal government should play a role in establishing them - or if the principle of limited government should likewise be applied in this area.

www.electiangilyeat.com