In 2020, former President Donald Trump falsely claimed the election was stolen for President Joe Biden. Since then, distrust in elections, and skepticism of the people who run them, has grown.
In Wisconsin, election administration is highly decentralized. It's run by hundreds of municipal and county clerks, with guidance from the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
WUWM sent a survey to municipal clerks across Wisconsin, who run elections. We heard back from about 180 of them. Two Milwaukee-area clerks, Sandy Kulik of Hales Corners and Catherine Roeske of Oak Creek, spoke with Lake Effect in an extended interview.
Here’s a summary of what clerks told us about the issues they’re facing, and what they wish people better understood about elections.
For reliable election information, use MyVote
Use myvote.wi.gov to register to vote, check whether you are registered, see what’s on your ballot, request an absentee ballot, track your ballot, and find your polling place.
Kulik and Roeske say they've fielded calls from concerned voters who received mass mailers with inaccurate information. The mailers sometimes tell people they aren't registered to vote, even if they are.
"Unfortunately it perpetuates the mistrust around how elections are managed," Roeske says.
Roeske and Kulik say for reliable information, go to myvote.wi.gov, or ask your local clerk.
Absentee voting is safe
Clerks say there are misconceptions about how absentee ballots are handled.
Kaitlyn Bernarde, the clerk in Wausau, wrote in her response to our survey: “Every absentee ballot and vote has to be tied back to a registered voter. We spend a lot of time recording applications, ballots, and participations to ensure that every eligible voter can exercise their right to vote.”
If clerks receive an absentee ballot that is incomplete, they contact the voter to ask them to correct it.
In larger municipalities, absentee ballots are sometimes counted at a "central count" location where ballot envelopes are checked for the required information, opened, and then processed by voting machines.
Roeske says it takes time to process the absentee ballots.
"I wish voters could view how long that takes for a larger municipality," Roeske says. "Now everybody wants that instant gratification of who won, and if they don't have that immediately, it's suspect. So that's frustrating on the clerk's part."
Roeske and Kulik say they expect to work 18- to 20-hour days on Election Day.
Elections are secure
Election clerks emphasize that there are many checks and balances to ensure the integrity of the vote.
When someone votes absentee, it is recorded in the local clerk's poll book. If that person were to try to vote again in-person on Election Day, the pollbook will show that they already cast an absentee ballot.
The machines used to tabulate ballots are not connected to the Internet. They are tested twice to make sure they are counting results correctly before being used in an election.
On Election Day, ballots are entered into the machine and stay there. Tabulation doesn't occur until after polls are closed.
After an election, the total number of votes is checked against the results from the tabulator machines. This canvassing happens at the county and state level, and for some elections, at the local level as well. That means the results are checked for accuracy multiple times.
Clerks are facing more scrutiny and threats
About 20 of the 180 clerks we surveyed said they have received threats or dealt with belligerent behavior at the polls. Many clerks are taking additional precautions for the November election, including having a police presence at the polls and training poll workers in de-escalation.
"Fortunately, [aggressive behavior from voters] is a pretty rare thing, it's a handful here and there throughout an 18-hour-day," Kulik says.
You can help make election clerks' jobs easier
Some things that help clerks: Return your absentee ballot, register to vote before election day and don't write-in votes for fictitious people.
Don't talk about politics at the polls. It's called electioneering and it's not allowed.
Clerks and poll workers care deeply about running safe, trustworthy elections
"I just wish the public understood we take this very seriously," says Kulik.
"I feel like we're in a time of crisis of trust in elections," Roeske says. "Everyone says 'Well not you, I trust you, I don't trust the process.' And I'm like, you understand I create and manage the process?"
Roeske says if you're skeptical of elections, volunteer to work at the polls so you can view the process firsthand.
