MILWAUKEE — Municipalities across Wisconsin started testing their voting equipment publicly on Saturday.
Election commissioners in the City of Milwaukee ran thousands of sample ballots through their voting tabulators.
Voter Doug Kwikkel wanted to see up close how the votes were counted.
“It’s a gift to be able to vote and be able to select our candidates or our president,” said Kwikkel. “We just need to take the time to do it.”
Kwikkel said he appreciated the opportunity for the public to ask questions to the city’s Election Commission Executive Director, as they watched the process.
“I think for me, it has always been more of where the ballots are collected and whether the stories are true or not true of harvesting ballots,” said Kwikkel. “I think at the polls, it is a whole different story. I do like paper ballots versus electronic machines. I think there is too much error that can happen so seeing a paper processor really puts my mind at ease.”
Another voter, John McCauley, moved to Wisconsin from the UK a few years ago.
McCauley said he came to observe the ballot-casting process because he cares about election integrity.
“I’m used to the English voting system, which is a paper ballot, with people physically voting,” said McCauley. “It’s much more transparent with how it really works, whereas there is a machine here, right, and you somewhat have to trust that it’s actually doing what it is doing.”
Paulina Gutiérrez, Executive Director for the City of Milwaukee Election Commission, said the results of any election are audited by the city, county and state for accuracy.
She encourages anyone who’s skeptical about how the ballots are counted to become a poll worker or speak to one.
“It’s thousands of people that live and work in this community,” said Gutiérrez. “They are your neighbors. They are your friends, so if you start asking your community. You are going to find a poll worker and that’s what is so important is that everybody does this in our city.”
Kwikkel said he found the visit reassuring.
“I worry about other states more than Wisconsin right now,” said Kwikkel. “I think we put some good checks and balances in place in the way that these machines work.”
Kwikkel hopes watching the ballot-casting process up-close will put more people’s minds at ease, as they prepare to cast their own ballots in a heated election.