New Badger Book tech streamlining voter check-in for Green Bay primaries

Green Bay City Clerk says the new electronic polling books are speeding up the voting process and reducing post-election work for poll workers.

Published on Feb. 19, 2026

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Green Bay, Wisconsin is using new 'Badger Book' technology to streamline the voter check-in process for the spring primary election. The electronic polling books allow voters to sign in digitally, eliminating the need for paper poll books and reducing work for poll workers both on Election Day and during post-election reconciliation. City Clerk Celestine Jeffreys says the new system is helping handle the roughly one-third of ballots that are cast absentee, with the remaining two-thirds coming from in-person voting.

Why it matters

The spring primary election in Wisconsin is historically one of the least attended, but new voting technology like the Badger Book could help improve the efficiency and speed of the check-in process for both in-person and absentee voters. This could encourage more participation in these lower-profile elections that still play an important role in selecting candidates.

The details

The Badger Book is the only legal electronic polling book allowed in Wisconsin. Voters sign in digitally, with their information recorded on a USB stick rather than in paper poll books. Green Bay City Clerk Celestine Jeffreys says this streamlines the work for poll workers on Election Day and reduces the post-election reconciliation process.

  • Polls opened at 7 a.m. on February 17, 2026 for the spring primary election.
  • More than 1,600 absentee ballots were turned in to City Hall prior to Election Day.

The players

Celestine Jeffreys

The Green Bay City Clerk overseeing the implementation of the new Badger Book technology for voter check-in.

Pete Borchardt

One of the candidates on the ballot for Brown County Supervisor District Ten.

Jon Schultz

One of the candidates on the ballot for Brown County Supervisor District Ten.

John Vanderleest

One of the candidates on the ballot for Brown County Supervisor District Ten.

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What they’re saying

“People sign as you do at the festival when you pay with your credit card. You sign on the screen, and everything is recorded electronically on a stick. So there are no paper poll books in those locations.”

— Celestine Jeffreys, Green Bay City Clerk (wearegreenbay.com)

“They limit a lot of extra work that poll workers have to do during Election Day. They also limit and streamline the work that we have to do to reconcile the election afterward, so we are very excited to have those as an addition.”

— Celestine Jeffreys, Green Bay City Clerk (wearegreenbay.com)

What’s next

The next election in Green Bay will be the spring general election on April 7, 2026.

The takeaway

The new Badger Book technology is helping Green Bay streamline its voting process, making it faster and more efficient for both in-person and absentee voters. This could encourage higher turnout in the historically low-participation spring primary elections, which play an important role in selecting candidates.