Wisconsin Republicans tried to Stifle a Plan for Poll Workers to Collect Absentee Ballots in Parks across Madison.

But Poll Workers in Madison, Wisconsin, are expected to appear at more than 200 Different Locations over the Weekend to allow Residents the opportunity to: Register to Vote; Apply for an Absentee Ballot; and Turn-In their Absentee Ballots.

Republicans in the State have Opposed the "Democracy in the Park" Event because of a Restriction on In-Person Voting until October 20th and have suggested the Event would Not properly Protect the Ballots. Madison City Officials said they Planned to go ahead with the Event as Ballots would be Safe and Protected. They added that since Ballots would Not be Distributed, it wouldn't be in Violation of State Law.

City Officials would Run the Event Allowing Poll Workers to: Answer Questions about Voting; Help Voters Request an Absentee Ballot; Serve as Witnesses for People to Fill-Out Ballots they already Received; Collect Properly Filled-Out Ballots, and Wisconsin Residents can also Register to Vote.

Mike Haas, the Madison City Attorney and the Former Leader of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, said the Event did Not Classify as In-Person Voting because No Ballots would be Distributed.

Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman, Andrew Hitt, said he was working to Recruit Republicans to attend "Democracy in the Park" Locations to make sure they didn't become "illegal early vote sites."

"We thought if we got poll workers to be stationed in each city park it would be like a human drop box, only with the added benefit that the poll workers can verify for the voter that everything is complete on their envelope and answer any questions the voters might have about how are these absentees counted and what happens after this," said Maribeth Witzel-Behl, the Madison City Clerk. Witzel-Behl said that Voters were already able to Return their Absentee Ballots by Mail and that the City's Drop-Boxes had Not yet arrived.

"By having poll workers receive the delivery of the absentee ballot, we are able to double-check that the voter has completed the certificate envelope so the ballot can be counted at the polls on Election Day," she added. "The City Clerk's Office is non-partisan. Regardless of who people vote for, our goal is that each eligible voter will be able to cast a ballot and have that ballot counted."










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker