Even with thousands of absentee ballots being requested and mailed in, it appears there will be in-person voting for Wisconsin’s April 7 elections. But many poll workers are older adults at higher risk for COVD-19.
“We need poll workers. If you are a teacher who’s home because the schools are closed, or if you’re a student, college or high school, or your somebody else who just wants to work, contact your muncipal clerk or county clerk and volunteer to become a poll worker. You can get paid for it. We need you.”
Reid Magney with the Elections Commission said Thursday they’re in the process of putting together guidelines to help local clerks, including offering options like drive-thru voting.
“We’re in the process of putting together guidelines for clerks on ways to do it, so you don’t have everybody huddled around the same table. There are many places around the state that are setting up drive-thru voting. They’re setting up a big tent or they’re going to use their town garage, and just have people drive right in.”
Magney said they’re doing everything possible to make that a safe process.
“We’re finding ways to be creative so people can either vote from their cars, or setting up polling places so that they’re big enough, and we can establish procedures to have the proper social distancing. The National Guard is in the process of distributing hand sanitizer and other sanitary supplies to polling places.”
Again,many older poll workers at higher risk for COVD-19 have bowed out, so volunteers are urgently needed. Contact your local clerk to do that.