THE FEBRUARY 18 SPRING PRIMARY
ELECTIONS IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN,
THERE COULD BE SOME CONFUSION
FOR ABSENTEE VOTERS.
THAT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO
BALLOTS.
ONE WENT OUT EARLIER FOR THE
SPECIAL PRIMARY FOR
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 7.
ANOTHER CAME OUT LATER AND
INCLUDES BOTH THE 7TH
CONGRESSIONAL AND STATE-WIDE
JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT
PRIMARY AND OTHER COUNTY OR
MUNICIPAL CONTESTS.
WHAT HAPPENS IF AN ABSENTEE
VOTER FILLS OUT BOTH?
WE TURN TO THE CITY OF SUPERIOR
CLERK AND ELECTIONS OFFICIAL,
TERRY COLON, WHO JOINS US FROM
SUPERIOR.
>> GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
>> WE WANT TO PUT UP THESE
DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE
BALLOT.
WE HAVE THE "A" BAT LOCAL FOR
THE 7TH CONGRESSIONAL ONLY AND
THEN WE HAVE THE B BALLOT WHICH
INCLUDES THE SUPREME COURT RACE
AND OTHER LOCAL ELECTIONS.
DESCRIBE WHY THESE TWO VERSIONS
ARE NECESSARY.
>> WELL, BECAUSE THE
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IS A
FEDERAL ELECTION, A FEDERAL
POSITION.
THOSE BALLOTS NEED TO BE MAILED
OUT BY LAW 47 DAYS PRIOR TO THE
ELECTION, WHICH IS JANUARY 2.
OUR LOCAL FILING DEADLINE WASN'T
EVEN UNTIL JANUARY 7.
SO WE HAD TO SEND OUT A SECOND
BALLOT THAT INCLUDED THE
CONGRESSIONAL RACE ALONG WITH
OUR LOCAL RACES.
>> SO WALK US THROUGH WHAT
HAPPENS.
IF AN ABSENTEE VOTER FILLED OUT
BALLOT A, THEN GOT BALLOT B
LATER AND FILLED THAT OUT ALSO.
>> IF THEY RETURN BOTH OF THEM,
WE WILL REJECT BALLOT A AND WE
WILL COUNT BALLOT B.
>> SO -- YEAH.
IN THIS CASE WHAT HAPPENS IF A
VOTER FILLED OUT BALLOT A, THEN
GOT BALLOT B AND BECAUSE THEY'D
ALREADY FILLED OUT A IN THE
CONGRESSIONAL RACE, THEY DON'T
FILL OUT THAT PART OF BALLOT B,
THINKING, WELL, I DON'T WANT TO
VOTE TWICE?
>> YEAH.
THERE'S A LOT OF CONFUSION OVER
THAT AND WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF
PHONE CALLS.
BUT OUR DIRECTION FROM THE STATE
IS IF THEY RETURN BALLOT B,
BALLOT A IS REJECTED.
WE DON'T OPEN IT.
WE DON'T LOOK AT IT.
SO WE WON'T KNOW.
>> OH.
WELL, WHAT CONCERNS DO YOU HAVE
THAT SOME VOTERS' INTENTIONS
MIGHT BE NULLIFIED BECAUSE OF
THESE BALLOTS?
>> IT IS A CONCERN, BUT I'M
REALLY NOT SURE.
WE DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY OTHER
DIRECTION FROM THE STATE ON HOW
TO HANDLE IT.
SO WE'RE JUST FOLLOWING WHAT
THEY ARE TELLING US TO DO.
>> HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY QUESTIONS
FROM CANDIDATES THEMSELVES
THEIR PARTIES ABOUT THESE KIND
OF DUELING BALLOTS?
>> NOT SO MUCH THE CANDIDATES,
BUT A LOT OF ABSENTEE VOTERS WHO
RECEIVED A BALLOT, HAVE BEEN
CONFUSED.
WE PUT SOME PRETTY GOOD
DIRECTIONS IN THE ENVELOPE WITH
THE BALLOT IN HOPES THAT THEY
WOULD READ IT AND UNDERSTAND IT
AND FILL OUT THE FULL SECOND
BALLOT.
>> WHAT IS YOUR MOST
STRAIGHTFORWARD GUIDANCE THEN
FOR THESE VOTERS?
>> TO FILL OUT THE B BALLOT
COMPLETELY AND RETURN IT.
>> AND WHY IS THAT?
>> BECAUSE THAT WILL HAVE ALL OF
THE RACES ON THERE, INCLUDING
THE CONGRESSIONAL, EVEN THOUGH
THEY VOTED THE A BALLOT WITH
JUST THE CONGRESSIONAL.
>> OKAY.
HOW MANY ABSENTEE VOTERS MIGHT
THIS AFFECT?
>> I THINK WE SEND OUT CLOSE TO
700 FOR THIS PRIMARY.
>> AND IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN FOR
THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY; IS
THAT RIGHT?
>> CORRECT.
THERE'S GOING TO BE AN A AND B
BALLOT FOR THE SPRING
APRIL ELECTION.
THE A BALLOT WILL HAVE TO BE IN
THE MAIL BY FEBRUARY 20, WHICH
IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, TWO
DAYS AFTER THE PRIMARY, AND THE
B BALLOT WILL GO OUT ON MARCH
17.
>> SO IT SEEMS POTENTIALLY LIKE
MORE WORK AND A LITTLE BIT MORE
READING AND FOCUS FOR VOTERS WHO
HAVE TO FILL THESE THINGS OUT.
BUT AT LEAST AFTER THIS
FEBRUARY ELECTION YOU'LL HAVE
HAD KIND OF SOME PRACTICE WITH
IT.
>> YEAH.
WE'RE STILL TRYING TO WORK
THROUGH THE DETAILS ON OUR END
HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT,
BECAUSE WE CENTRAL COUNT OUR
ABSENTEE BALLOTS.
THEY'RE COUNTED AT OUR
GOVERNMENT CENTER BY ELECTION
INSPECTORS ON ELECTION DAY.
>> SO --
>> SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT THE DETAILS OF HOW
WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.
>> IT'S COMING RIGHT UP ON YOU,
TOO.
>> IT SURE IS.
>> YEAH.
AFTER SEEING WHAT HAPPENED IN
THE IOWA CAUCUS, HOW GLAD ARE
YOU THAT YOU'RE JUST DEALING
WITH TWO BALLOTS?
>> VERY GLAD.
>> YEAH.
>> I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE IN
THEIR POSITION.
>> YEAH.
FOR SURE.
ALL RIGHT.
TERRY KALAN, THANKS VERY MUCH
FOR JOINING US AND GOOD LUCK