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What's on the mind of Wisconsin election workers in the 2022 Midterm Elections

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 25: A worker sets up a polling place for early voting on October 25, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Scott Olson
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Getty Images North America
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 25: A worker sets up a polling place for early voting on October 25, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

When you’re at your polling place, you’ll be greeted by election workers diligently upholding the democratic process. They’ve been front and center these 2022 Midterm Elections as skepticism in the voting process has increased and threats have been made against election workers across the county.

Kathy Dolan is a first time poll worker. She is a professor of political science at UWM, and she has always had an interest in the process.

Dolan emphasizes that she isn't afraid. Dolan says, "We have not seen the sorts of public kind of intimidation tactics that we've seen in Arizona and a couple of other places around the country. And, you know, I feel pretty comfortable. I'm pretty confident in the city."

Aaron Moriak has worked as a poll worker in elections for the past two years. He became more involved on Twitter and met other people interested in the nonpartisan process of elections. And after chatting with someone who worked as a chief inspector, he decided to apply to work in the polls.

Moriak isn't concerned about anything happening in his ward but notes there were attempts to interrupt the democratic process, like the Jan. 6 Insurrection. In the recent primary, Moriak describes working for the first time with an election observer, who monitored his ward to make sure they followed the rules.

"She was asking a ton of questions about the process, and especially about election integrity and things," Moriak says."That's part of the training they gave us was focusing on observers."

Dolan feels reassured that she'll have the support of other election workers at the polls. "I think I feel ready," she says. "And you know, I know, because I've taught for 30 years that something will come up that we don't anticipate, and I will make no mistake or have to correct something. And there's time and the ability to do that."

Ultimately, they both have trust in the democratic process and encourage everyone that can vote to cast their ballot.

"I have my political beliefs, and I, you know, I want to bring change to the country, right?" Moriak says. "All I care about is making sure that we're following the process. So whether or not they're a Democrat or Republican, my goal is to get people to vote."

Mallory Cheng was a Lake Effect producer from 2021 to 2023.
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