ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Election officials are using advanced mapping software to give voters live updates on wait times and, on election night, will track the journey of each ballot box as it’s escorted back under police watch.
As ballots are cast across St. Louis County, every vote is part of a high-tech tracking system built to make this election one of the most transparent elections yet. Election officials tell us they’re using new geo-mapping software to bring real-time updates straight to voters and ensure every ballot’s journey can be followed closely.
Anyone in the county can check the online dashboard to see current wait times across polling locations.
For voters like Allycia Uhrhan, a teacher in south St. Louis County, that data has already made a difference.
“Time is a huge commodity so to be able to do that and save time is helpful," she said on Friday while waiting in line for voting.
And the technology isn’t just for convenience. As ballots are cast and the day winds down, each ballot box will be secured with a locked iPhone transmitting live GPS data as it travels to election headquarters.
“It's been a great tool," said Eric Fey with the St. Louis County Board of Elections.
He told the I-Team the system is designed to hold the process accountable.
"So a Democrat, Republican getting a car together at the end of the night when the polling place closes, they have the sealed ballot box," said Fey.
He said it's done under police escort, with every mile tracked on a public dashboard.
“So we're trying to, as best we can, keep up with the public expectation of efficient and transparent service," said Fey.
It’s high-tech, high-security, and all happening on Election Day. As ballots come in, St. Louis County hopes this real-time tracking system shows every voter that their ballot is safe and accounted for. They said it's transparency that could set a new standard for elections nationwide.
St. Louis County is using Esri’s ArcGIS software, a geo-mapping software, to track ballots in real-time, empowering voters with new insights into polling wait times and ballot tracking.