Election security; Mukwonago village clerk transparent about procedures
MUKWONAGO, Wis. - The Mukwonago village clerk said she is getting more questions than ever before about the safety and security surrounding elections.
"Where does the ballot go? What happens to my ballot after it goes into the machine," said Diana Dykstra, Mukwonago Village Clerk.
It is the most common question Dykstra gets asked.
"It goes right here – into this plastic container," Dykstra said.
Aiming for transparency
Ahead of election day, the village clerk is giving the public an opportunity to get hands-on with voting equipment.
"Absolutely, we can assure everybody that their vote is going to count," Dykstra said.
"How do we know that though? As a voter?" asked FOX6's Bret Lemoine.
"We vote on paper," Dykstra said. "No matter what happens to that tabulator throughout the day, we’ll always have the opportunity to hand count."
Diana Dykstra
There are only three people who have keys to the ballot box on Election Day and one of them is Dykstra. Even the tabulator's memory stick is locked and sealed.
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"There is an overall distrust in government. So, the only way to combat that, I believe, is to get in front of it – showing people what you’re doing, being open and transparent," Dykstra said.
Poll workers trained
On Thursday, Oct. 10, poll workers like Joyce Luebke and Mary Patz were being trained by Mukwonago police.
FOX6 News asked Police Chief Dan Streit if anyone in the village has ever been arrested for voter fraud. He said yes, years ago someone voted twice.
Dykstra said all the questions and skepticism surrounding elections is a good thing – so long as voters find the answers.
"Them seeing how it works and seeing where the ballots go make them feel more comfortable in the process altogether," Dykstra said.
Diana Dykstra
The clerk is expecting 90% voter turnout for the Village of Mukwonago. It was 92% there for the 2020 presidential election.
Where are the voters?
There are about 200 potential voters in the Village of Mukwonago who live in Walworth County. 8,000 live in Waukesha County. Each municipality uses different voting machines. All village residents vote at the same location: Mukwonago Village Hall.
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Dykstra says she’s already received about 1,000 absentee ballots.