Fitchburg already moving to prevent long lines during next election

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The president of Fitchburg’s city council is blaming a sharp increase in the number of in-person voters this year for the long lines at some of its polling places.

Council President Randy Udell pointed out nearly twice as many people showed up at the ballot box on Tuesday as compared to 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic drove many people to vote absentee instead.

“We all know that delays and hours-long lines are a hardship on voters and can serve to disenfranchise voters,” he said. “Voting must remain safe and accessible for all our residents.”

Udell noted voters in districts three and four waited for hours before reaching the voting booth. He thanked everyone who had to wait for their patience and understanding through the process. He also complimented poll workers for their work to ensure the process ran as smoothly as possible.

Fitchburg city staff already met with Udell, he continued, to identify what went wrong and to come up with ideas to make sure such waits do not happen in the next election. They are tasked with examining a variety of the city’s procedures from voting patterns to the size and number of places to vote.

The statement began by mentioning other communities in Dane Co. also experienced long delays. In the Town of Middleton, voters were so stacked up that, despite the polls closing at 8 p.m., the final ballot was not cast until 11 p.m. As a reward for waiting so long, poll workers gave her one of their pizzas as she left.

Town of Middleton Clerk Barbara Roesslein also attributed the lines to the number of in-person voters nearly doubling since 2020. The town has also been growing rapidly, she added.

After the election, Roesslein indicated the Town Board increased the number of poll workers to assist in the election this year, anticipating a high turnout. They even brought in more staff brought on throughout the day to help process absentee ballots, which helped poll workers deal with in-person voters and same-day registration.

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