GREEN BAY, Wis. — Whether it’s a high-profile presidential election, or a more locally focused contest, people like Joyce Fritz are in polling places to help make it happen.
She’s a chief inspector at the Green Bay polling location at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary.
“I have a a great team of poll workers that I work with, and I do it -- it kind of sounds corny, but I think it’s a patriotic thing to be there and to make sure that elections are run fairly and honestly and with as few mistakes as possible,” Fritz said.
Through early afternoon, turnout was light. By late afternoon and early evening, a more regular flow of people cast their votes.
Fritz and other poll workers and officials were there to help those voters through the process.
“I’m doing this because I care about the political process and I think it’s very important it be done correctly,” she said.
A number of high-profile races helped bring voters to the polls in Green Bay on Tuesday, including a statewide primary for the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Green Bay mayor.
Four candidates were running in each of those races. The top two vote getters in each will move on the April 4 election. Angelica Castro was among the voters at the Bay Beach location.
“Every election makes a difference in my opinion,” she said after casting her vote. 'You can’t have people in power if you don’t vote and if you want the right people in power you need to go out there and vote.”
Castro said there’s a sense of satisfaction that come from making her voice heard.
“It feels really great because I know that we didn’t always have the option to vote and I really enjoy being able to represent the younger generation of 20-something-year-olds,” she said. “It’s not just for the older generations, it’s for all the generations.”
Tuesday is a long day for Fritz and others, but one she’ll look back at with a good feeling when it’s over.
“It can be tedious and dull sometimes, but it’s a very important job,” she said.