WEST ALLIS, Wis. — Many people just getting off work lined up at the polls.
Everything ran smoothly at West Allis City Hall, the largest polling location in the city. One hiccup happened at about 3 p.m., when a voter took off before checking to make sure their ballot was accepted by the voting machine. Deputy Clerk Gina Gresch says the ballot was spit back out because the person over-voted in the school board race.
Gresch says election workers copied over each vote onto a new ballot, but had to leave the one race where the person over-voted blank. It's a strong reminder to take your time when you get in line before the clock strikes 8 p.m.
City Attorney Kail Decker says it is far below his expected turnout of about 40 percent of their registered voters. “A lot less. I visited six polling locations so far today and none of them have experienced even average turnout," she said.
Nurse Chris Fifer made sure to fulfill her civic duty in her scrubs before heading into a long day at work. “There are so many issues that need to be addressed, and I think if you get the right person in office, you can make a difference," she said.
Michael Schallhorn says this was the first time he ever voted in a Spring Election, or with a State Supreme Court Justice race on the ballot. “These past few years have just been so turbulent that I felt it was my duty as a citizen of the country, the city, the state to just make my voice heard," he said.
In the basement of City Hall, election workers were counting nearly 5,000 mail-in ballots. Decker says more could come. “If the post office receives it by 7:55 p.m. on Election Day, we have a staff person sitting at the Post Office - we need to grab it and take it over here to the clerk’s office by 8 p.m.”
It shows even down to the wire, people are working hard to make sure your vote counts.
It's also a reminder that if you are in line at your polling location by 8 p.m. to vote or simply drop off your mail-in ballot in-person, your vote will be counted.
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