About a Week Out From The Election

We are fast approaching Election day.  I wanted to give everyone an update on where we are at and a sneak peak at how the Town Hall will be set up for election day so that everyone will be ready.

As of Monday October 26rd we have 1048 Absentee Ballots that have either been mailed out or people that have voted in person.  We have 139 Absentee Ballots that were mailed still outstanding.  If you are still holding one of these please ensure you get those in the mail as soon as possible.  As of this date, all ballots must be at the Town Hall by 8pm on November 3rd election day.  Any ballots received after 8pm on election day will not be counted.  Please see other news items as to how you can return your ballot.  

IN-PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING

The week of October 25th, we will have in-person absentee voting at the Town Hall.  The times for voting at this point are from 1pm to 5pm, Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday through Friday we will be Noon to 6pm.  Please watch the upcoming events part of the home page.   This week it has been a good flow of people doing an average of 30 ballots per day with no long wait times.

I have been asked by many people, what happens to my ballot when I vote in-person absentee?  When you vote in-person absentee, you will see that I put a sticker on your envelope that has your name and address.  To print that sticker I must enter you in the wisvote system as having voted absentee.  You vote your ballot and place it in a sealed envelope.  I sign the ballot as your witness.  At the end of the day I conduct an audit of the number of people that were put in the wisvote system to verify I have the correct number of absentee envelopes compared to what is entered.  Your ballot is then placed in a file box alphabeticaly and that box it placed in the fireproof safe in my office.  I also audit all absentee ballots qtys daily and compare to what the wisvote system says we have on hand.  If the number does not match, I must go through each file box one by one and find where the error is.  (they have matched everyday so far).  On election day our election inspectors will open each envelope one at a time, state the name and address of the absentee voter and feed the ballot through the machine.  We take hourly counts to ensure the number of ballots fed into the machine matches the number we have for ballots that should have been entered.  At the end of the day, all counts from the voting machine are compared to our poll book and the number of absentee ballots that were fed.  The number must match.  

ELECTION DAY

Due to covid and for the safety of everyone, we must limit the number of people in the actual Town Hall to no more then 11 people and that includes our election officials.  So that means that a maximum of 3 voters will be permitted in the Town Hall at any one time. Voters waiting in the hallway are limited to a maximum of 7.  The remainder of those waiting will have to wait outside.  Depending on the traffic there may be a wait outside.  So please dress for the weather that day.   We ask that everyone comes in the front door and exits out the back door.  Again to ensure social distancing.  There will be greeters at the front entance to monitor the number of people in the building.  There will also be a monitor in the hallway to guide everyone into the Town Hall.  We ask that everyone please wear a mask or facial covering.  At the front door we will have pens you can use and take home with you or you can drop in a bucket as you leave.  

We have set up the hall different then what you have seen in the past.  The reasons for this are, help us to limit the number of people in that room and it opens the space up much more to increase the social distancing for those in the room.  

If you do not have a pen, we have pens that you can use and take with you or drop in a bucket as you leave.  Gel pens are not permitted, blue or black ball point pens are to be used and if you are not sure, please take one of the pens provided.  We will have sanitizers on hand and as each voter leaves the voting booth, the sanitizer will clean that voting booth.  We will shut down for 5 minutes each hour to sanitize the room and allow our election inspectors to sanitize their hands and workspace.  

You will see that the area where you come in to pick up your ballot has a 24 foot wall of plexiglass to protect everyone.  This requires that everyone speak up a bit in order to be heard and we will speak up also.  You will have to show your ID and state your name and address.  We have developed a protective signature board that is sanitized after each use.  This will be used when you sign the poll books.  

Our goal is to ensure an accurate and safe election.  Should you have any questions please let me know.  

Thanks

Tim Tollefson

Clerk