Service offered to help avoid crowds on Election Day
By Ed Nadolski
Editor in Chief
With the April 7 election fast approaching and no indication from state officials the election will be postponed, local officials and their counterparts throughout the state continue to push residents to vote by absentee ballot.
The Village of Waterford has taken that a step further by offering drive-through in-person absentee voting.
The service is another attempt to prevent the usual crush of voters on Election Day, which would potentially expose poll workers and voters to the coronavirus.
The village announced last week that residents may drive up to Village Hall, 123 N. River Street, receive a ballot, fill it out in their car and seal it in an envelope before handing it back to a staff member for tabulating on Election Day.
“We have volunteers who are going to each car wearing gloves, and goggles, checking IDs and bringing the ballots out where they are filled out and handed back to the volunteers,” the village’s Public Information Officer Colleen Schauer said in an email Tuesday. “All pens are sanitized and public is not entering Village Hall.”
During the week of March 30 through April 3 the service will be offered between 1 and 4 p.m.
Village officials caution residents to be prepared to take advantage of the service:
- Enter from Main Street north onto River Street;
- Have your valid drivers license or state ID ready; and
- Be prepared for long wait times and potentially long lines.
Paperwork is key
Voters who are not registered to vote must fill out registration paperwork ahead of time and present it along with proof of residency to the clerk. Those who don’t have the paperwork in order will be sent to the back of the line to start over, officials said.
For questions about the election in the Village of Waterford people may contact Clerk Rachel Ladewig at 262-534-3980 or [email protected].
The Wisconsin Elections Commission strongly urges anyone who is concerned about exposure to COVID-19 to make plans now submit an absentee ballot by mail for the April 7 Spring Election and Presidential Preference Primary. Voters may request an absentee ballot online at www.myvote.wi.gov by April 2 and a ballot will be mailed to them. Local residents may also request absentee ballots in writing directly from their municipal clerks.
Voters must include a copy of their photo ID, address, date of birth and election date or officials will not be able to process requests. Voters should be sure to allow sufficient mailing time, as ballots must be returned on or before Election Day.
For the most recent information from the Wisconsin Elections Commission, visit elections.wi.gov.
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