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WE WILL RISE FOR A MOMENT OF SILENT PRAYER AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, HONOR, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY.
LIBERTY WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
UH, WE HAVE THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING.
ANY CORRECTIONS QUESTIONS? I'M GOOD.
UM, WE HAVE A RESOLUTION FOR GENERAL FUNDS TRANSFER FOR COUNTY CLERK ELECTION INTEGRITY PACKAGE.
MOTION BY SUPERVISOR SHARIN, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SCH.
UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS WHILE I'M PRESENTING ON THIS, JUST FEEL
[a. 2024 Resolution: General Fund Transfer for County Clerk Election Integrity Package]
FREE TO ASK ME.UH, BUT I'LL JUST GO OVER WHAT'S IN THE COMMITTEE REPORT, WHICH, UH, ADDS UP TO THE TOTAL DOLLAR AMOUNT OF 150,000 AS A A ROUGH ESTIMATE.
UH, SO I'LL START WITH THE IN-PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING HOURS.
UH, WE ARE REQUESTING THE ABILITY TO FUND OUR MUNICIPAL CLERKS AND THEIR TEAMS, UH, FOR ADDITIONAL HOURS DURING THAT 14 DAY TIME PERIOD PRIOR TO ELECTION DAY IN NOVEMBER.
UM, OFFERING EXTENDED HOURS OUTSIDE OF WHAT THEY'RE NORMALLY OFFERING.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS, UM, FOR OUR MUNICIPALITIES AND FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE MORE AVAILABLE TIMES TO EITHER VOTE IN PERSON ABSENTEE OR TO DROP OFF THEIR ABSENTEE BALLOT IF THEY DO NOT WANNA UTILIZE THE MAIL.
UM, ALSO BECAUSE WE ARE NOT IN SUPPORT OF DROP BOXES OF BEING, UH, RE REINSTATED, UH, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE ABILITY FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS TO HAVE THE TIME TO DROP OFF THEIR BALLOTS TO THEIR MUNICIPAL CLERK AND HAND THEM TO THEM IN PERSON.
UM, SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN THERE.
WE ESTIMATED THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE DOLLAR AMOUNT, UM, IF THEY WERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EVERY DAY, YOU KNOW, THREE TO FOUR HOURS OR MORE FOR UP TO THREE PEOPLE WORKING IN THE MUNICIPAL CLERK'S OFFICE FOR ALL OF OUR MUNICIPALITIES.
UM, AND THEN ALSO OFFERING SATURDAY AND SUNDAY HOURS, AND THAT IS WHAT EQUALS THE $40,500.
UH, SO ROUGH ESTIMATE, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? AS WITH ANY RESOLUTION, IF MONEY ISN'T USED, IT GOES BACK AND FEDERAL FUND.
AND SO THIS WOULD BE A GRANT PROGRAM AS WELL.
SO THE MUNICIPAL CLERKS WOULD NEED TO REQUEST THAT REIMBURSEMENT.
THEY'D HAVE TO COORDINATE ALL OF THAT, AND WE WOULD, WE WOULD PAY FOR THE COORDINATION, UH, AND THEN ALSO THE, THE HOURS AFTER THE FACT AS WELL.
AND SO THEY WOULD JUST SUBMIT THAT TO THE COUNTY.
AND SO, UH, THE NEXT ITEM IN OUR LIST IS, UH, VOLUNTARY MUNICIPAL AUDITS.
UM, AS YOU MAY KNOW OR MAY NOT KNOW, WE ALREADY CURRENTLY ARE DOING, UH, COUNTY AUDITS, UH, AT RANDOM DURING OUR COUNTY BOARD OF CANVAS MEETINGS, UH, WHERE WE RANDOMLY SELECT TWO REPORTING UNITS AND TO RACES AND WE HAND COUNT THE BALLOTS.
UH, AT THAT TIME, UH, WE HAVE HAD SOME COMPLAINTS ABOUT NOT DOING IT ON ELECTION NIGHT.
UH, WE CAN'T FORCE THE MUNICIPAL CLERKS TO DO THIS, BUT WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE FUNDING IF THEY SO CHOSE TO DO SO.
UM, SO THIS WOULD BE FUNDING STAFFING, UH, TO COME IN, YOU KNOW, CHIEF INSPECTORS OR POLL WORKERS THAT MAYBE DIDN'T WORK DURING THE DAY.
AND THEY WOULD COME IN AT THE CLOSE OF POLLS AND THEY WOULD RANDOMLY SELECT A COUNTYWIDE OR ABOVE, UH, CONTESTED RACE AT RANDOM AND REPORTING UNIT AT RANDOM IF THEY HAVE MORE THAN ONE AT THAT POLLING LOCATION.
AND THEN THEY WOULD HAND COUNT THOSE BALLOTS TO ENSURE THAT THE MACHINES COUNTED ACCURATELY ON ELECTION NIGHT BEFORE THE BALLOTS ARE SEALED IN THE BALLOT BAGS OR BOXES AND BEFORE THEY LEAVE THE MUNICIPAL CLERK'S OFFICE TO COME TO THE COUNTY.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT TOPIC? NO.
UM, AND THEN ALSO WE ARE, UM, WE ARE WANTING TO ELIMINATE CENTRAL COUNT IF POSSIBLE.
UM, SO CENTRAL COUNT, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR, IS, UH, AT THE CITY OF WEST BEND AND THE VILLAGE OF GERMANTOWN, I BELIEVE THAT WAS CREATED BY, BY THEIR MUNICIPALITIES IN EITHER 2019 OR 2020, I THINK IT WAS, IT PREDATED 2020S APRIL ELECTION.
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WE WOULD LIKE TO ELIMINATE IT AND BRING THE ABSENTEE BALLOTS BACK TO THE, UM, POLLING LOCATIONS SO THAT THEY CAN BE COUNTED WHILE EVERYBODY ELSE IS VOTING IN PERSON.UM, AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT OUR MUNICIPALITIES, THEY HAVE PURCHASED ALL OF THEIR MACHINES, ALL OF THEIR VOTING EQUIPMENT WAS PAID FOR BY THE MUNICIPAL, UM, CLERKS OFFICES.
AND SO THEY HAVE ADDITIONAL MACHINES THAT THEY HAVE PURCHASED FOR CENTRAL COUNT USAGE.
AND THE, THE MACHINES ARE EXPENSIVE.
THEY'RE $10,000 OR MORE AT THIS POINT.
AND SO WE WANT TO OFFER TO BUY THEM BACK, UM, AND KEEP THEM AT THE COUNTY FOR SPARES IF, IF WE NEED THEM.
UM, BUT THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO ASSIST THE MUNICIPALITIES IN POTENTIALLY ELIMINATING THAT CENTRAL COUNT PROCESS.
UM, SO THAT IS THE, THE ESTIMATE ON THERE, WHICH EQUALS UP TO 60,000.
UM, IF EACH MUNICIPALITY HAS THREE MACHINES, WHICH I BELIEVE THEY BOTH DO AT THIS POINT, THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION I WAS GONNA HAVE.
UH, ACTUALLY, WHAT'S YOUR TIMING ON ELIMINATING CENTRAL COUNT, CENTRAL CUT GERMANTOWN FOR A NUMBER OF ELECTIONS? MM-HMM.
THEY ARE THE ONES THAT WERE ABLE TO CREATE IT, UM, BY A VOTE.
AND SO THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE ABLE TO ELIMINATE IT.
UM, I HAVE SPOKEN WITH BOTH MUNICIPAL CLERKS AND THE ONE IN WEST BEND AND THE ONE IN VI THE VILLAGE OF GERMANTOWN.
UM, AND THEY HAVE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THEIR ADMINISTRATORS.
I HAVE A MEETING TOMORROW SET UP WITH THE CITY OF WEST BEND, AND WE'LL BE COORDINATING ONE WITH THE VILLAGE OF GERMANTOWN AS WELL.
SO WE WOULD BE PURCHASING BACK FROM THEM THE EQUIPMENT MM-HMM.
IN THEORY, THEY'RE NOT OUT ANY FINANCIAL.
UM, AND THEN AN, AN ADDITIONAL ITEM, AND I BELIEVE I SKIPPED THIS ONE PREVIOUSLY, BUT WE ARE RECOMMENDING, UH, DOING A COUNTYWIDE AUDIT AGAIN LIKE WE DID IN 2022, UH, WHERE WE DID THE GOVERNOR'S RACE AND THE US SENATE RACE, AND WE HAND COUNTED ALL OF THE BALLOTS HERE AT THE COUNTY, UM, FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY, UH, WHICH TOOK APPROXIMATELY TWO AND A HALF DAYS, UM, AND PROBABLY A TEAM OF 50 TO 60 PEOPLE.
UM, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
AND AT THAT TIME IT DID SHOW, UM, I THINK A VOTE CHANGE OF ONE DUE TO A BALLOT JAM WHERE THE, THE, UH, POLL WORKERS REFIT IT THROUGH A SECOND TIME.
UM, SO JUST TO HELP WITH THE, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST THE FAITH IN OUR ELECTION PROCESS AND OUR SYSTEMS THAT WE USE, I, I FEEL STRONGLY THAT THAT IS, UM, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ALSO OFFER, AGAIN, FOLLOWING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
AND OF COURSE, IF THERE IS A RECOUNT, UH, THAT MAY ADJUST THINGS HOW WE DO THEM OR WHEN WE DO THEM, UM, IN NOVEMBER, BUT OUR PLAN AS OF RIGHT NOW WOULD BE TO DO THE PRESIDENTIAL AND OR US SENATE RACE TOO.
JUST A QUICK QUESTION ON THAT COUNTYWIDE AUDIT.
MOST OF THE QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAD, THIS WOULD KIND OF COVER THAT, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
REQUEST INFORMATIONS THAT YOU GOT IN THE PAST.
THAT'S, AND WE, WE ARE REQUESTING, UM, 15,000, BUT IT, IN 2022, IT COST LESS THAN 10.
THE, UH, ELIMINATION OF CENTRAL COUNT MM-HMM.
UM, IS THERE ENOUGH TIME TO FEED IN THOSE ABSENTEE BALLOTS AT THE POLLING PLACES? I GUESS THAT'S A QUESTION THAT YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER, RIGHT? I, I BELIEVE SO.
UM, SO WE HAVE TESTED IN THE PAST HOW LONG IT TAKES AN A BALLOT TO BE FED THROUGH THE MACHINE.
AND, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY IT'S ANYWHERE DEPENDING ON HOW LONG AND HOW MANY RACES, SEVEN TO 11 SECONDS TO PROCESS EACH BALLOT.
AND SO THEN WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION HOW MANY REGISTERED VOTERS THERE ARE AND WHAT WE ESTIMATE THE TURNOUT TO BE.
AND WE CAN FIGURE IT OUT PRETTY WELL.
UM, WE HAVE MADE CHANGES IN, IN HOW, UH, BALLOTS ARE PROCESSED IN, SAY, THE VILLAGE OF JACKSON.
THEY DO NOT HAVE CENTRAL COUNT, BUT THEY FEED ABSENTEES AND IN-PERSON BALLOTS THROUGH BOTH MACHINES AND THEY'RE TABULATED,
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UH, AT THE END OF THE NIGHT TOGETHER.AND ALL TOTALS ARE COMBINED AND THAT HELPED ALLEVIATE THE ISSUE OF HOW LONG IT TAKES A BALLOT TO BE PROCESSED, YOU KNOW, WHILE YOU HAVE IN-PERSON GOING ON.
AND, AND I WOULD SAY IT'S LIKELY THE VILLAGE OF JACKSON IS THE ONLY ONE THAT WE WERE EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, IN THE PAST.
AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO FOR, SAY, THE CITY OF WEST BEND IN THEIR HIGHER ABSENTEE, UM, DISTRICTS LIKE DISTRICT THREE OR DISTRICT EIGHT, WE COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE TWO MACHINES AT THE POLLS.
UM, AS LONG AS THEY'RE FEEDING ABSENTEE AND IN PERSON THROUGH BOTH MACHINES, THEY CAN'T USE ONE SPECIFICALLY FOR ABSENTEE.
IT HAS TO BE A MIX OF BOTH IN BOTH MACHINES.
UH, JUST FROM EXPERIENCE, UH, WORKING CENTRAL ACCOUNT AT GERMANTOWN, UH, FOR THE ELECTION IN 2020, I BELIEVE IT WAS, SORRY, I JUST, I TURNED YOUR MIC ON.
UH, THE ELECTION 2020 AS AN EXAMPLE, UH, I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MANY THOUSANDS CAME THROUGH CENTRAL COUNT, BUT TYPICALLY WE COULD AVERAGE PROCESSING, NOT INCLUDING RUNNING THROUGH THE MACHINES AND COUNTING, EVERYTHING DOUBLED AFTERWARD, BUT YOU COULD DO 100 BALLOTS AN HOUR.
SO IF YOU'VE GOT 12,000 BALLOTS, UH, YOU CAN FIGURE OUT THE HOURS YOU GOTTA TAKE.
BUT I THINK WE HAD LIKE SIX OR SEVEN TEAMS GOING THAT DAY.
AND I SHOULD SHARE AS WELL, ONE OF THE REASONS, ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND ELIMINATING CENTRAL COUNT, NOT ONLY IS HAVING THE ABSENTEES PROCESSED ELSEWHERE, UM, NOT NECESSARILY A GREAT IDEA, UM, ALSO DOESN'T ALLOW FOR THAT PUBLIC OPENNESS OF, OF THE PROCESS, EVEN THOUGH THEIR OFFICES ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, IT JUST IS SEPARATE FROM THE POLLS.
UM, YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE, AND CAROL YOU WOULD BE, BUT THE PROCESS WITH AN ABSENTEE BALLOT AT CENTRAL COUNT, YOU'RE REQUIRED TO WRITE THE VOTER NUMBER ON THE BALLOT.
UM, AND SO WHEN YOU WRITE THE VOTER NUMBER ON THE BALLOT, YOU'RE ALSO WRITING THAT IN THE POLL BOOK, UH, AND THEIR CERTIFICATE ENVELOPE FOR ABSENTEE.
AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS FOR ME SPECIFICALLY, WHEN WE RECEIVE ALL OF THE BALLOT IMAGE FILES, UH, FROM THE, THE ELECTION, UH, MACHINES THEMSELVES, THE MEMORY CARDS OR THE DATABASE, UH, WE CAN'T RELEASE THOSE IMAGES TO ANYBODY WITHOUT REDACTING THAT NUMBER FROM EVERY SINGLE FILE.
AND SO OUR SYSTEMS, THERE IS NOTHING APPROVED BY THE STATE TO, UH, DO LIKE A BATCH EDIT OR AN AUTOMATED PROCESS TO REMOVE THAT NUMBER, UM, THAT PEOPLE ARE HANDWRITING ON, ON THE BALLOTS.
UH, SO IN 2020, WE HAD A RECORDS REQUEST FOR ALL OF THE IMAGE FILES, SO IN PERSON AND ABSENTEE FROM EVERY SINGLE POLLING LOCATION.
AND SO IN 2020, YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW MANY ABSENTEE BALLOTS WE HAD FROM THE CITY OF WEST BEND IN THE VILLAGE OF GERMANTOWN.
AND IT, IT PROBABLY TOOK ME EIGHT MONTHS TO REDACT EVERY SINGLE VOTER NUMBER FROM EVERY SINGLE BALLOT IMAGE.
UH, THANKFULLY THE REQUESTER WAS EXTREMELY PATIENT WITH ME, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO USE PAINT TO ERASE THAT, UH, NUMBER TO ENSURE THE VOTER'S PRIVACY AND SO THAT NOBODY WITH AN ILL INTENT COULD REQUEST THE IMAGES AND THEN ALSO REQUEST THE POLL BOOK AND FIND OUT HOW ALL OF THOSE ABSENTEE VOTERS VOTED.
SO THAT IS MY BIGGEST CONCERN, ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS WITH CENTRAL COUNT IT.
SO TIES SO RELATED TO THE HOW MANY PER HOUR YOU CAN DO MM-HMM.
THEN SOMEONE ELSE MANUALLY HAS TO GO IN AND, AND, AND ADJUDICATE IT AND DETERMINE WHO LIKE DUPLICATE IT.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? DUPLICATE IT WHEN YOU NEED TO REMAKE THE BALLOT? NO, UM,
SO, UM, JUST THEY HAVE TO MANUALLY DO IT.
THEY HAVE TO FIX IT BECAUSE FOR SOME REASON MAYBE THE BUBBLE WAS ONLY HALF FULL.
THEY NEED TO BE NO, THEY, THEY NEED TO BE REMAKING THAT, THAT'S A DUPLICATION PROCESS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF TRY TO ADD A BUFFER IN IF THAT, IF THAT'S A PROBLEM, YOU KNOW, SAY THE BALLOT IS RIPPED, YOU CAN'T BE FED THROUGH THE MACHINE OR SAY IT'S TOO CRINKLED.
WE HAD THIS ISSUE IN THE VILLAGE OF JACKSON IN APRIL WHERE THIS IS WHY THEIR MACHINES JAMMED IN JACKSON.
IT, THE BALLOT WAS CRINKLED UP AND THEY TRIED TO
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SMOOTH IT OUT AND FEED IT THROUGH.IT JAMMED ONE MACHINE, THEY TOOK IT, TRIED TO SMOOTH IT OUT SOME MORE, AND THEN FED IT THROUGH THE SECOND ONE AND IT JAMMED THAT ONE TOO.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT SHOULD BE REMADE AND USE THE DUPLICATION PROCESS WHERE YOU HAVE TWO, UH, POLL WORKERS WORKING AND DUPLICATING, AND THEN YOU HAVE AN ORIGINAL BALLOT THAT GOES IN A SEPARATE ENVELOPE AND THEN THE DUPLICATED BALLOT, AND THEY HAVE NUMBERS THAT CORRESPOND WITH THE OTHER.
AND SO THEN, THEN IT'S FED THROUGH.
BUT YES, SO WE ADD THAT, UH, A TIME BUFFER, YOU KNOW, IN OUR ESTIMATE.
UM, BUT WE WILL SAY LIKE, OKAY, SO YOU FEED A THOUSAND BALLOTS THROUGH SEVEN SECONDS OF BALLOT, THIS IS THE MINIMUM TIME IT'LL TAKE.
BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT IS NOT RIGHT.
BECAUSE WHEN THERE ARE ISSUES WITH THE BALLOT, LIKE SAY YOU OPEN THE ENVELOPE AND YOU SLICE THE BALLOT IN HALF, LIKE YOU HAVE TO REMAKE THAT.
AND I, I'M JUST, I WAS ALWAYS READ IT ABOUT IT AND HEARD IT CALLED THE ADJUDICATION.
AND THAT'S WHERE OTHER ERRORS OR, UM, PERSONAL INTERESTS COULD PLAY INTO.
OH, OH, I THINK THIS BUBBLE WAS SUPPOSED TO.
WE, THEY JUST DO A DUPLICATION PROCESS AND THEN WE KEEP THE ORIGINAL AS IS.
THEY SHOULD NOT BE TOUCHING THAT ORIGINAL BALLOT OR DOING ANYTHING TO IT TO CHANGE IT.
SO WASHINGTON COUNTY, THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT OR THE COUNTYWIDE AUDIT? UH, I, I HAVE ONE MORE, UM, REQUEST AS WELL.
UH, IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE CASES FOR OUR VOTING EQUIPMENT, UM, OR IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE VOTING MACHINE ITSELF, IT'S THE BIG BLACK BIN.
UM, BUT THE ACTUAL VOTING MACHINE JUST SITS ON THE BIN.
UM, AND IT, IT GETS STORED IN A, WHAT LOOKS LIKE A CLOTH, UH, CARRY-ON SUITCASE.
A LITTLE BIGGER THAN BIGGER THAN A CARRY-ON.
UM, I AM RECOMMENDING THAT WE PURCHASE FOR OUR MUNICIPALITIES HARD SIDED CASES.
UH, THEY NOW MAKE A FOAM INSERT THAT FITS OUR MACHINE, AND THEN A FOAM THAT GOES OVER THE TOP OF IT WHEN YOU CLOSE IT, AND THEN A HARD CASE THAT YOU CAN SECURE MUCH BETTER THAN A CLOTH SIDED CASE.
UH, WE'VE HAD, WELL, WE'VE HAD OUR MACHINE SINCE 2016 CASES AS WELL.
UH, THE HANDLES THEMSELVES HAVE BEEN, UM, BREAKING AND WE HAVE SOME WITH THE CLOTH.
IF THE CLOTH GETS DAMP, IT GETS MOLDY AND MILDEWY.
AND SO, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, OUR MACHINES ARE SO EXPENSIVE WE NEED TO BE PROTECTING THEM AND SECURING THEM, UH, PHYSICALLY AS WELL.
AND SO THAT IS WHY I'M RECOMMENDING PURCHASING THE NEW CASES FOR THE MACHINES TOO.
KEN, WHAT'S THE COST OF THAT? UM, THEY ARE, FOR ALL OF THE MACHINES THAT WE HAVE, WE'RE ESTIMATING 20,000.
I BELIEVE THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT OVER 400 A PIECE.
AND I THINK THAT IS EVERYTHING I HAVE IN HERE.
WE WILL BE BRINGING FORWARD INFORMATION ABOUT GENERATORS AS WELL FOR, UM, POWERING THE, THE MACHINES IF THERE WERE TO BE AN INCIDENT WITH A POWER OUTAGE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT THAT REQUIRES MORE RESEARCH.
AND SO WE'LL BE BRINGING THAT IN THE FUTURE.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS I WANTED TO TOUCH ON.
FIRST OF ALL, KUDOS TO ASHLEY FOR COMING UP WITH SUCH A COMPREHENSIVE, UH, APPROACH TO ELECTION INTEGRITY.
WE'LL BE THE ONLY COUNTY IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN DOING SOMETHING SO ROBUST AND SUPPORTING OUR MUNICIPALITIES IN THIS WAY TALK ABOUT GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND.
UM, SHE'S FANTASTIC AND WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE HER.
A COUPLE THINGS I WANNA DRILL DOWN, UH, TO, AND JUST MAKE SURE YOU'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT AWARE OF, UM, BOTH IN THE CA AND, AND ASHLEY MIGHT HAVE SAID THIS, BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH EMPHASIZING BOTH IN THE CASE OF THE IN-PERSON, ABSENTEE HOURS AND THE VOLUNTARY AUDITS, WE ARE OFFERING, UH, 150% OF THE ACTUAL COSTS, UH, FOR THEM.
UH, BASICALLY SIMILAR TO HOW WE'VE DONE SOME OTHER THINGS.
JUST TRYING TO TAKE MONEY OFF THE TABLE IS THE EXCUSE, UH, WHY, WHY WE MAY NOT WANT, WHY SOMEONE MAY NOT WANT TO DO IT.
FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, THIS WILL TAKE A LOT OF THE MUNICIPAL CLERKS TIME NO MATTER WHAT.
SOME OF THOSE CLERKS ARE SALARIED, SUCH AS IN THE VILLAGE OF GERMAN TOWN.
UM, THAT EXTRA 50% CAN HELP COVER SOME OF THAT PERSON'S TIME, UH, SO TO SPEAK.
IN ADDITION TO ALL OF WHAT ASHLEY WAS SAYING BEFORE, LIKE POLL WORKER TIME OR CHIEF ELECT ELECTION INSPECTOR TIME, MAYBE IF THEY HAVE TO ORDER EXTRA FOOD 'CAUSE IT'S LATE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UM, WE WANTED TO BE OVERLY GENEROUS IN MAKING SURE THAT MONEY IS NOT THE REASON THIS CAN'T HAPPEN.
UM, SECONDARILY, THE, UM, ASHLEY MENTIONED THE HAND COUNTS AND, AND I, AND I THINK AT ONE POINT IN THE CONVERSATION SAID, HAND COUNTING THE BALLOTS IN THE PROCESS OF
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THOSE VOLUNTEER AUDITS, JUST TO BE CLEAR, YOU'RE JUST LIKE, WHEN ASHLEY DID THE HAND COUNT, UM, BACK IN 2020, THIS IS ACTUALLY A HAND COUNT OF THE VOTES FOR WHICHEVER RACE RACES ARE PICKED.SO AGAIN, I WANT TO BE MAKE SURE YOU'RE, YOU'RE CLEAR ON THAT AS WELL.
UM, 'CAUSE THAT'S A MATERIAL DIFFERENCE FROM WHAT WE HAVE HEARD SOME COMPLAINTS ABOUT WHEN THEY SIMPLY AT THE END OF THE NIGHT, SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN POLL WORKERS AND THEY JUST PUT 'EM INTO BATCHES OF 25 AND COUNT THAT THERE'S ENOUGH BALLOTS THERE.
THIS IS COUNTING VOTES FOR THE RACES THAT ARE SELECTED.
I ARTICULATE THAT CORRECTLY, ASHLEY.
JUST TWO FINAL POINTS, UH, GENERATORS IS A, IS A DISCUSSION THAT'LL COME TO YOU IN A FUTURE ASK.
SO THIS WILL NOT BE THE END, IT'S JUST THE BEGINNING.
UM, THE OTHER TWO THINGS I WANNA PUT ON YOUR RADAR THAT ARE OF THAT I OF INTEREST TO ME, ASHLEY AND I HAVE HAD VARIOUS DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THEM.
UM, BUT THEY ARE, UH, THERE ARE PENDING COURT CASES IN FRONT OF THE SUPREME COURT AS I UNDERSTAND IT HERE IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN.
UM, DROP BOXES, I THINK ASHLEY MENTIONED THAT A MOMENT AGO, IF SOMETHING IS TO CHANGE OR HAPPEN WITH DROP BOXES, HER AND I WILL CERTAINLY BE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE RESPOND AND REACT TO THAT.
UM, IN ADDITION, UH, THE VOTER VAN CASE WITH, UH, INE, INE HAS A VOTER VAN.
UM, AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IT'S CURRENTLY THE COURTS HAVE INDICATED THAT'S PROHIBITED, THAT ALSO IS BEING APPEALED TO THE SUPREME COURT.
SO THIS IS REALLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE WITH THE HOURS THAT THEY PROVIDE, UH, IN-PERSON ABSENTEE, WE'RE PROBABLY NEVER GONNA BE ABLE TO MASH THOSE, SO TO SPEAK.
BUT GETTING CLOSER TO THAT KIND OF AVAILABILITY OR THE CONVENIENCE OF A RACINE VOTER VAN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE IT AS CONVENIENT AS POSSIBLE.
AND CONSERVATIVE COUNTIES HAVEN'T DONE A GREAT JOB OF THAT.
UM, SO WE'RE TRYING TO LEAD THE WAY IN WHAT BETTER WAY TO DO IT? THE BEST, BEST COUNTY CLERK IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN WITH SUCH A INNOVATIVE PACKAGE.
SO FULLY SUPPORT IT AND ASK FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT AS WELL.
I WILL ADD, I SPOKE TO THE TOWN OF KI WASUM CLERK.
AND THAT WAS PROVIDED THROUGH A GRANT AT SOME POINT IN THE PAST, RIGHT? SO, UM, MAYBE OTHERS DO TOO.
I'VE ACTUALLY SPOKEN WITH ALL OF OUR MUNICIPAL CLERKS REGARDING ALL OF THESE ITEMS AND TO FIND OUT THOSE THAT HAD A GENERATOR AND THOSE THAT DID NOT.
AND THERE ARE A HANDFUL, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE BIGGER MUNICIPALITIES THAT YOU ALREADY WOULD THINK WOULD HAVE ONE DO.
UM, BUT THERE'S SOME THAT HAVE GENERATORS THAT ONLY, UM, OPEN A GARAGE DOOR OR ONE THAT'S FROM A FARM MACHINE THAT IS VERY, VERY OLD AND THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO TURN IT ON.
SO OUR MAIN GOAL WITH THAT DISCUSSION IS JUST HOW DO WE KEEP OUR POLLS OPEN WHERE THEY ARE NORMALLY, SO THAT WE CAN ELIMINATE VOTER CONFUSION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, UM, WITHOUT HAVING TO MOVE THE POLLS THAT DOES THAT.
LIKE IF WE CAN KEEP IT WHERE IT NORMALLY IS, THAT IS A POSITIVE.
AND I MEAN, IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THERE ARE A DA REQUIREMENTS, UM, REGARDING VOTING.
UH, IN ADDITION TO, LIKE, YOU NEED TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, YOU NEED TO HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR POLLING LOCATION.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE ACCESSIBLE BATHROOMS. UM, SO THAT IS IMPORTANT AS WELL WITH THE ELECTION PROCESS.
UM, OUR NEXT MEETING DATE IS JUNE 12TH, 2024.
NEXT WEDNESDAY AT 6:00 PM THIS MEETING'S ADJOURNED.