THAN ONE MILLION VOTERS IN
WISCONSIN WHO HAS ALREADY
REQUESTED ONE, YOUR ABSENTEE
BALLOT SHOULD BE IN THE MAIL TO
YOU.
THAT'S BECAUSE ELECTION CLERKS
WORKED OVERTIME TO GET THEM OUT
BY THURSDAY'S DEADLINE.
BUT THAT NUMBER, ALREADY A
MILLION, IS GOING TO BE AN
ELECTION LIKE NO OTHER.
FOR FACTS AND FIGURES, WE TURN
TO THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE
WISCONSIN ELECTIONS COMMISSION,
MEAGAN WOLFE, AND THANKS VERY
MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
SO A MILLION ABSENTEE BALLOTS
HAVE ALREADY BEEN PROJECTED.
WHAT IS YOUR PROJECTION OF HOW
MANY MAY VOTE IN PERSON FOR THE
ELECTION?
>> IT'S DIFFICULT TO REALLY
PREDICT.
THIS WILL TRULY BE AN ELECTION
UNLIKE ANY OTHER.
SO WE CAN LOOK TO PREVIOUS
ELECTIONS THIS YEAR FOR SOME
GUIDANCE.
IN THE APRIL ELECTION, WE SAW
THAT ABOUT 60% OF VOTERS THAT
PARTICIPATED PARTICIPATED USING
ABSENTEE BY MAIL.
IN THE AUGUST STATEWIDE
ELECTION, WE SEE THAT NUMBER GO
CLOSER TO 80%.
AND SO WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY
WHAT THE VOTER BEHAVIOR WILL BE
FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTION, BUT
WE KNOW THAT WE MUST BE PREPARED
FOR A VERY HIGH VOLUME IN ALL OF
THE THREE STATUTORILY AVAILABLE
OPTIONS FOR VOTERS TO CAST THEIR
BALLOT.
>> BUT GIVEN THE HIGH NUMBERS OF
ABSENTEE BALLOTS, WHEN SHOULD WE
EXPECT ELECTION RESULTS?
>> WELL, OUR LOCAL ELECTION
OFFICIALS ARE ALSO WORKING TO
PREPARE THEIR SYSTEMS TO
ACCOMMODATE THE NEW VOLUME OF
ABSENTEE BALLOTS.
STATE LAW SAYS OUR LOCAL
ELECTION CLERKS CANNOT BEGIN
PROCESSING, TABULATING THOSE
ABSENTEE VOTES UNTIL 7:00 A.M.
ON ELECTION DAY.
SO THEY HAVE A VERY SMALL WINDOW
OF TIME TO PROCESS ALL THOSE
BALLOTS.
THAT SAID, THEY'RE PREPARING IN
ALL OF OUR JURISDICTIONS TO PUT
MORE RESOURCES TOWARDS THAT
PROCESS.
BUT I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT TO ADD TO THIS
CONVERSATION THAT ELECTION NIGHT
RESULTS ARE ALWAYS UNOFFICIAL.
IT TAKES NEARLY A MONTH IN EVERY
ELECTION TO CERTIFY THE OFFICIAL
RESULTS AND WINNERS OF A
CONTEST.
>> SO IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT WE'D
BE LOOKING SOMETIME PAST THE
EVENING OF NOVEMBER 3 FOR EVEN
THOSE UNOFFICIAL RESULTS.
BUT I WANT TO MOVE ALONG.
PRESIDENT TRUMP TOLD PEOPLE TO
TEST THE SYSTEM BY VOTING TWICE,
ONCE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT AND THEN
AGAIN AT THE POLLING PLACE.
WHAT SHOULD VOTERS KNOW ABOUT
THAT ADVICE?
>> SURE.
SO IF YOU RECEIVE AN ABSENTEE
BALLOT BY MAIL, SO IF THAT'S THE
MELD THAT YOU CHOOSE, YOU DO
HAVE SOME OPTIONS.
IF YOU DON'T SEND THAT BALLOT
BACK, VOTERS ARE STILL ELIGIBLE
TO CAST A BALLOT AND TO VOTE AT
THE POLLS ON ELECTION DAY AND
ESSENTIALLY CANCEL THEIR
ABSENTEE BY MAIL.
HOWEVER, IF YOU HAVE RETURNED
YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOTS YOU ARE
NOT ELIGIBLE TO VOTE AT THE
POLLS.
THERE'S A WATERMARK ON THE POLL
BOOKS.
SO YOU WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO
CAST A BALLOT ON ELECTION DAY IF
YOU HAD RETURNED YOUR ABSENTEE.
BUT YOU CERTAINLY SHOULDN'T
TRIEF TRY
THAT EITHER BECAUSE IT COULD BE
REFERRED TO A DISTRICT ATTORNEY
AND BE VOTER FRAUD.
>> WHAT ARE THE FACTS ON THAT IN
WISCONSIN?
>> SO AFTER ELECTIONS WE ARE
REQUIRED TO PRODUCE A REPORT
THAT SHOWS INSTANCES OF VOTER
FRAUD.
AND OUR COMMISSION JUST APPROVED
THE MOST RECENT REPORT, WHICH
TAKES A LOOK AT THE ELECTIONS
ALREADY HERE IN 2020, AS WELL AS
SOME OF THE PREVIOUS ELECTIONS
LAST YEAR, AND OVER THAT COURSE
OF THAT REPORTING PERIOD, SO
WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO THIS EVERY
YEAR, WE SAW ABOUT 20 INSTANCES
STATEWIDE.
AND, AGAIN, THAT COVERS THE
GAMUT OF MORE THAN A YEAR WORTH
OF ELECTIONS IN THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN.
>> THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT THE
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE AND ITS
ABILITY TO DELIVER BALLOTS ON
TIME ON NOVEMBER 3.
WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE WHO WANT TO
VOTE THAT WAY DO?
>> SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN
VOTING BY ABSENTEE BALLOT BY
MAIL, MAKE SURE YOU'RE
LEVERAGING THE TIME THAT WE HAVE
BEFORE ELECTION DAY.
SO ALL ABSENTEE BALLOTS MUST BE
RECEIVED BY YOUR LOCAL ELECTION
OFFICIAL NO LATER THAN 8:00 P.M.
ON ELECTION DAY.
AND THE USPS HAS TOLD US AND HAS
TOLD US FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS
NOW THAT EACH JOURNEY OF YOUR
BALLOT CAN TAKE UP TO A WEEK.
SO IT CAN TAKE UP TO A WEEK FOR
THAT BALLOT TO GET TO YOU AND UP
TO A WEEK FOR IT TO GET BACK TO
YOUR LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIAL.
PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO USE THAT
OPTION, MAKE YOUR REQUEST RIGHT
AWAY.
ONCE YOU RECEIVE YOUR BALLOT,
RETURN IT RIGHT AWAY.
IF YOU ARE CLOSE TO THE
DEADLINE, THERE ARE OTHER
OPTIONS TO RETURN YOUR BALLOT,
INCLUDING IN-PERSON DROP-OFF AT
YOUR LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIAL'S
OFFICE.
AND MANY OF YOUR COMMUNITIES MAY
HAVE DROP BOXES WHERE YOU CAN
DROP OFF THOSE BALLOTS.
>> ONE ISSUE IN THE MIDST OF
COVID-19 IS THAT NURSING HOME
RESIDENTS WON'T SEE ELECTION
DEPUTIES IN THEIR FACILITIES TO
HELP THEM COMPLETE THEIR BALLOT
BECAUSE IT'S JUST TOO RISKY.
WHAT ARE THOSE RESIDENTS TO DO
IF THEY CANNOT WHREET THEIR BALLOTS
WITHOUT HELP?
>> ANY STATE OF WISCONSIN
ELECTOR IS ALLOWED TO USE AN
ASSISTER OF THEIR CHOICE.
SOME RESIDENTS MAY UTILIZE
FACETIME OR SKYPE TO COMMUNICATE
WITH A LOVED ONE TO HELP ASSIST
THEM IN THAT PROCESS.
SO THERE ARE OPTIONS AVAILABLE
TO THOSE VOTERS.
WE'VE ALSO SENT OUT EXTENSIVE
TRAINING TO THOSE CARE
FACILITIES SO THEIR RESIDENTS AS
WELL AS THEIR STAFF UNDERSTANDS
HOW TO ASSIST A VOTER AND WHAT
THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO DO IN TERMS
OF INFLUENCING A VOTER'S
OPTIONS.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE LEAVE IT THERE.
MEAGAN WOLFE, THANKS YOU VERY
MUCH FOR JOINING US IN THE