Badger Books are coming!

Badger Books are coming to Union Grove!

What is a Badger Book? It is an electronic poll book. They will be used to check in voters, print tally slips, enter registrations, and record absentee voters.

These electronic poll books will work the same as paper.  For instance, just as a voter would sign the paper poll book to get a voter number in order to get a ballot, the voter will sign the Badger Book.  The election inspector will still look up the voters’ names in the poll book, voters will still sign the poll book, and voters will still get a voter number slip. The only difference is that all of this will be done electronically using the Badger Books.

The actual process of voting will not change at all. You will continue to state your name and address out loud, show your photo ID, sign the poll book. Voters will still vote on paper ballots and will still place those ballots in the tabulator. The tabulator is not connected to the Badger books in any way.

The Badger Books are not connected to the internet or to any other outside source.  They are connected only to each other by a private network within the polling place.

The Badger Books will be used beginning with the February 21, 2023 Primary Election.  If you have any questions regarding Badger Book electronic poll books, please contact Village Clerk Sara Spencer at 262-878-1818 or at sspencer@uniongrove.net

WHAT THEY ARE:

• They are poll books. They check in voters and produce a voter number on a slip of paper for each voter.
• They are also used to register voters, and to process absentee ballots.
• When voters check in, they will give their names and addresses to the election inspectors, just as they have in the past. The only difference will be that the inspectors will be looking up voter names electronically, rather than in paper poll books. Voters’ signatures will still be required, but voters will sign their names on an electronic screen using their fingers or a stylus, rather than in the paper poll book.

WHAT THEY ARE NOT:

• They are not voting machines – you can’t cast votes on them. Voting will continue to be done on paper ballots.
• They are not vote tabulators – they don’t count votes. The vote tabulation process will not change.
• They are not connected to the internet or any other outside source. They are connected to a server through a router within each polling place that allows the books to talk to each other. They communicate only with each other.

If you would like to know more about how Badger Books work, you may view the informational video at https://vimeo.com/675553234 .

UPCOMING 2023 ELECTIONS:

SPRING PRIMARY —  Tuesday, February 21, 2023

SPRING ELECTION —  Tuesday, April 4, 2023