GREEN BAY, WI (WFRV) – A robust turnout at the polls Tuesday, along with a 94% return rate on absentee ballots in Green Bay, has the makings for one of the busiest April elections.
“I do ask voters to exhibit patience today,” said Green Bay City Clerk Celestine Jeffreys. “This is a very high turnout election. The numbers are up everywhere. I’ve talked with clerks at several other jurisdictions.”
It was a challenging start, but Jeffreys says the system of checks and balances is working.
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The morning began with a power outage at three polling locations all within a half mile of each other on the city’s northwest side; The Perkins Park shelter, St Paul’s and St Jude’s churches.
“Very importantly,” noted Jeffreys. “The chief inspector noted all this on their statement. So we have a legal record of this moving forward.”
They also had to deal with some human error when a church worker didn’t show up at six to open Christ of the Bay Church. Another worker was there a little after 7.
“Voters were waiting in line and waited to vote,” said Jeffreys. “One person who had to leave said they would come back. Another person had to catch a flight so I’m not sure that person is going to be able to vote today.”
Jeffreys also said that because of the “tenor” of this spring election, Green Bay City Hall is in November election mode. That means Jefferson Street was closed and voters had to walk into the clerk’s office to hand in their absentee ballots.
Jeffreys has been holding media briefings throughout the day to update the public.
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At the start of the day, they had 8,153 absentee ballots. She noted that the process they go through to count and tabulate these ballots is why she is supporting a bill that would allow them to start processing the day before the election. Each absentee ballot takes about two minutes to process.
She warned that results might be later than usual for a spring election.
