LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lawmakers have advanced a measure that would open the door to new voting technology in Nebraska.

The bill would allow counties to use electronic poll books to identify eligible voters, instead of traditional paper books. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. John Murante of Gretna, said Thursday electronic poll books are a first step toward modernizing the state’s polling process.

Murante says the new technology streamlines the sign-in process and makes elections more secure.

Lawmakers compromised on the measure by removing a controversial portion of the bill that called for the technology to include digital images to verify voter identification. A separate bill that would require voters to show government-issued identification failed to advance Thursday morning.

The polling-book measure advanced 39-0 to the second of three required votes.