MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- As Wisconsin’s Republican Primary for the state’s 8th Congressional District approaches, Milwaukee leaders are taking action avoid many hurdles voters had to face during the April primary.
“We need to be able to vote from home,” said Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic. “It might be in August, it might be in November, it might be throughout next year.”
Milwaukee’s Common Council unanimously passed a program called SafeVote. Monday, 255,000 Milwaukee households were mailed a postcard, encouraging residents to vote absentee. It covers the steps they need to take to update their address and navigate requesting a ballot.
“What we saw in the spring in the April election is we saw 80% of voters vote absentee, either through early vote or traditional absentee,” says Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. “I believe that’s a trend that will continue.”
The Milwaukee election Commission reports that to date, it has received more than 60,000 requests for the August primary and more than 50,000 requests for the November election.
“We’re promoting the my-vote website because it’s the fastest way to request your ballot,” says Claire Woodall-Vogg of the Milwaukee Election Commission. “The state has made many improvements since the April election and voters can now track their ballot through the mail system.”
Ballots requested on March 22 and March 23, as Spectrum News reported, were not received in time for the April primary. Laws garnering who could sign those ballots as a witness were also changed just days before the election. This, via the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Milwaukee will have 171 polling locations for the August 11 primary, according to Woodall-Vogg. 15 early voting sites will exist for August and November.
Voters can visit one of eight Milwaukee public libraries to receive assistance with registration, or the absentee process. The SafeVote plan also expands the number of absentee ballot drop-off locations at those libraries.
“To make sure that every single person in Milwaukee has access to the ballot, can do so in a safe way, and to make sure everybody’s voice is counted not just in August but in November and in elections beyond this,” said Common Council President Cavalier Johnson.
Milwaukee will need 1,000 poll workers for the August primary. The Election Commission says they are short 200, to date.