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Voting Machines

In Wisconsin, voters may see up to three different types of voting machines used at their polling place - tabulators, ballot marking devices, and electronic poll books.

Tabulators - Tabulators are used in every Wisconsin municipality with a population of over 7,500. These machines read the paper ballots inserted into them and electronically tabulate or count and add up the votes for each candidate and contest on the ballot. Numerous studies have found that tabulators are more accurate and much quicker than hand counting by humans. Learn more about the tabulators used in Wisconsin.

Ballot Marking Devices - Ballot marking devices (sometimes also called accessible voting equipment) are required by law to be available at every polling place in Wisconsin. This equipment provides assistance to voters to help them mark their selections on their ballot. This equipment often includes a touchscreen or keypad to help voters navigate making their selections. Many voters with disabilities rely on ballot marking devices to vote privately and independently. After using a ballot marking device, voters are able to review their selections on a paper ballot or paper record before having their ballot read by the tabulator. Learn more about the ballot marking devices used in Wisconsin.

Electronic Poll Books - In Wisconsin electronic poll books are also known as “Badger Books”. The Badger Book is an electronic version of the paper poll book and serves the same functions as the paper poll book. It is used to check in voters, process Election Day Registrations, and record absentee voting participation. Learn more about Badger Books.

Testing of Voting Machines: It is important to know that all voting equipment in Wisconsin is required to be tested before each election. Additionally, after every November election, election officials conduct post-election equipment audits to ensure the accuracy of the voting equipment.

The Paper Record: Every ballot cast in Wisconsin has a paper record. The paper record ensures that election officials can manually compare the paper ballots with the electronic tallies in case of doubts or discrepancies. It’s a safeguard against any potential errors, tampering, or inconsistencies.

You can learn more about voting systems by checking out the Elections Assistance Commission's (EAC) resource.

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