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Elm Grove weighs costly Badger Book purchase and security concerns; IT to review consultant flags
Summary
Clerk Turner presented two Badger Book purchase timelines showing a roughly 45% price increase and a $2,000 state grant deadline; trustees asked Village IT staff to independently assess outside consultant security concerns before deciding.
Village Clerk Crystal Turner told trustees the Badger Book electronic poll book price rose about 45% year‑over‑year, putting a projected purchase cost at roughly $37,000 under a 2027–2028 timeline; the Village has budgeted $14,000 toward the purchase and a $2,000 Wisconsin Elections Commission grant is available if the purchase is completed by December.
Turner presented two timeline options: Option 1 would purchase in summer 2027 and deploy for the Spring 2028 primary with four training rounds, producing a projected ROI of about $15,000; Option 2 would delay purchase to 2028–29, compress training to two sessions, raise equipment costs (projected ~$42,800) and yield a much smaller estimated ROI (~$2,000). Trustees raised security worries after Trustee Stuckert shared commentary from technology consultant John Schlosser that described two scenarios in which voter data could be compromised. The Board agreed to have the Village IT staff independently review Schlosser’s concerns (Trustee Olson asked that IT review the materials before any briefing to preserve impartiality) and report back before a purchasing decision is made.
Trustees also questioned the single‑vendor supplier model and long‑term lifecycle costs; Clerk Turner said software updates are managed by the Wisconsin Elections Commission at no subscription fee and recommended setting aside about $500 as a hardware reserve. The board directed IT staff to evaluate security concerns and return with an assessment before finalizing any procurement decision.
