Madison voters participating in the June 17 special election for District 1 of the Dane County Board of Supervisors will encounter a new voting process. Instead of signing a paper poll book, they will use electronic poll books, known as Badger Books. This technology has been developed by the Wisconsin Elections Commission and is already in use by around 400 communities in Wisconsin. The City aims to test this system during the smaller-scale special election to assess its efficiency.
Before receiving their ballots, voters are required to state their name and address, present photo identification, and sign the poll book. Traditionally, this involves searching through paper poll books for names and ensuring correct signatures next to them. After elections, voter registration and participation data must be uploaded into the statewide database by scanning individual voter information.
With electronic poll books, poll workers can electronically search for a voter’s name, and voters sign using an electronic signature pad. This process eliminates the need for manual searches through pages of poll books and prevents errors such as signing on incorrect lines. Post-election data from these electronic systems can be quickly uploaded with minimal effort compared to traditional methods.
“The special election gives us a chance to see how Badger Books work on a small scale,” stated Acting Clerk Michael Haas. “Electronic poll books will assist with some of the routine tasks of poll workers and our staff, reducing human error and allowing them to focus on serving voters and more complex tasks.”
The electronic poll books are secure monitors solely used for voting purposes and are not connected to the Internet. In case of any technical issues with Badger Books during the election, paper poll books will be available as backups. Poll workers will also provide assistance in using these new devices.
The Madison Clerk’s Office has collaborated with the Wisconsin Elections Commission in preparation for implementing Badger Books. The City is borrowing these devices from Sun Prairie, which has been using them since 2018 across all elections. Sun Prairie’s City Clerk staff has also helped train Madison’s Clerk staff and poll workers.
“We appreciate the help of our neighbors in Sun Prairie and at the WEC,” Haas said. “Their assistance will allow Madison voters to benefit from the Badger Book technology. We are looking forward to introducing the technology to Madison voters and we invite them to provide their feedback.”
Additionally, there will be a public demonstration of how these electronic poll books operate on Saturday, June 14 at 3:30 p.m., at the Fannie Lou Hamer Annex located at 2713 E. Washington Ave.
