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County clerk reviews election equipment options, records-request system and upcoming trainings
Summary
Sawyer County Clerk Liz reported on licensing and records work, conferences attended, an offer to exchange ICX tabulator machines for ICE units, and uncertainty about renewing the county's records-request software.
County Clerk Liz (name provided in meeting) updated the Sawyer County administrative committee on routine office activity and several items relevant to elections and records management.
Elections and voting machines Liz said towns have received an offer to exchange ICX tabulator machines (scheduled for decertification in 2027 under an executive order mentioned in the meeting) for ICE tabulator machines. The exchange would provide an ICE tabulator (described in the meeting as having a $9,000 retail value) for a $400 delivery and training fee. She said most towns appeared to be considering the offer.
Liz noted that ICE tabulators use paper ballots and that, if a town wished, ballots could be hand-counted instead of using the tabulator. However, she explained that under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and state practice, jurisdictions still must provide handicapped-accessible voting equipment; such equipment requires a programmed machine for that function.
Clerk office operations and records requests Liz reported the clerk’s office handles dog licenses, marriage licenses and plat books; she said the responsibility for dog licensing is being moved to the correct department per statute. She discussed the county’s records-request platform (referred to as NextRequest in the meeting), saying its renewal is uncertain and that, if not renewed, the county needs a replacement policy or tool for managing public records requests. Liz provided figures from the records-request report: "24 new requests, 450 total, 776 spent this period by staff, and 0 recovered," and said staff continue to review the best approach.
Training and site visits Liz said she attended two conferences (WCA and a Wisconsin Elections Commission elections conference) and planned a visit to Saint Cloud to observe where Dominion machines are made and programmed. She described the WEC conference as focusing on elections and noted the U.S. Postal Service has a special elections team that expedites ballots.
Why it matters: the clerk’s comments outline near-term decisions towns may face about replacing decertified tabulators, reiterate legal requirements for accessible voting equipment, and note the county’s unresolved choice about records-request software.
