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Wood County chair urges voters to "do your research" as Feb. 17 primary nears; county to standardize tabulators
Summary
Wood County Board Chair Lance Plimel urged voters to research candidates for the Feb. 17 primary in Supervisory District 9 and said the county is upgrading voting tabulators from the DS200 to the DS300 to standardize equipment across municipalities and speed results.
Lance Plimel, chair of the Wood County Board of Supervisors, urged residents to "do your research" on candidates as the county approaches a Feb. 17 primary for County Board Supervisory District 9, the race the interview identified as the one affecting Wisconsin Rapids.
Plimel said the primary will narrow a three-candidate field to two ahead of an April general election and noted the incumbent was named in the interview (the candidate referenced by Plimel). He said the seat covers Wisconsin Rapids Ward 6 and nearby towns and that voters should verify which ward or town ballot applies to them.
The county is also moving to new tabulators. "We're going from the DS200 to the DS300 machine," Plimel said, explaining the change is intended to make results available more quickly and to ensure every municipality is "using the same thing" so machines do not need different programming or handling. He said the county will bear the bulk of the upgrade cost so smaller municipalities can use the same equipment.
Why it matters: standardizing tabulators can reduce inconsistent handling and speed the reporting process, which election officials say helps public confidence in timely results. Plimel framed the upgrades as part of a broader effort to ensure "fair elections," adding that voters should focus on contests and offices where candidates have actual authority.
Plimel also urged voters to consider the powers of each office when choosing candidates: county supervisors do not control school-board decisions and municipal offices have different responsibilities. "Know what they have, you know, some authority or control over," he said.
The county did not provide detailed cost estimates for the tabulator purchases during the interview, nor did Plimel give a definitive vendor timeline beyond saying municipalities will be brought onto the same platform. The county clerk first flagged the need for new equipment about a year ago, according to Plimel.
The next steps: voters in the affected wards should confirm primary dates and polling locations; county officials plan to complete the tabulator rollout ahead of future elections so municipalities operate on a consistent platform.
