Wisconsin early in-person voting kicks off with delays due to high voter turnout
MILWAUKEE - Long lines and hours-long wait times, the first day of early in-person voting in Wisconsin kicked off with a hitch on Tuesday, Oct. 22.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission said the voter turnout was higher than expected, causing its system to lag. The lag has been resolved. However, that was after the processing delays and some people waiting for hours.
In exchange for a seat at the table, Glendora Shaw, broken femur and all, brought a chair to conquer this long line at the Capitol Drive early voting center.
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"Our lives are at stake," Shaw said. "Nothing was going to stop me, that's why I’m here in the chair."
Inside, the lines were even longer for the first day of in-person early voting for the 2024 presidential election.
"Three hours, I been in line so long," said Peggy Woodard, another Milwaukee voter. "I felt like I was going to pass out, so I got a chair."
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The WEC released a statement, saying in part:
"The WisVote System that some clerks use experienced a period of slowness that has now been resolved" and adding "today's system lag was purely related to demands on the WisVote System due to a high turnout."
Glendale Mayor Bryan Kennedy said the system crash caused a line to form out the door.
"This is kind of unusual," Kennedy said. "What we explained to folks is when the state database goes down we can’t issue you a ballot at that moment because we can’t guarantee if you’ve already gotten an absentee ballot so we can’t give you a second ballot obviously."
But voters were not discouraged.
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"I wanted to make sure I had a chance to vote before the 5th because you never know what’s going to happen," said Glendale voter Faye Hantsche.
"Everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing. People are taking this very, very seriously. This is a serious matter," said Cathy Wanzo, another voter.
Racine and Port Washington said they encountered slow times for printing labels, while Kenosha County said they had no issues to report.
Statement from Mayor Cavalier Johnson
"Milwaukee voters cast 4,761 ballots on the first day of early voting. That number reflects an enthusiasm about this fall's elections and is an encouraging sign that this city's voice will be heard in the local, statewide, and national races.
"I thank all the Milwaukee election workers for their efforts, and I especially thank the thousands of voters who turned out yesterday. I encourage all eligible voter to consider casting their ballots at one of the city's ten early voting sites. More information on voting in Milwaukee is available at milwaukee.gov/election."