>> GOOD TALKING TO YOU.
>> ELECTION CLERKS ACROSS
WISCONSIN ARE GEARING UP DESPITE
CURRENT UNCERTAINTY OVER
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES.
AND THEY HAVE TAKEN TO THE
AIRWAVES WITH AN AD CAMPAIGN
FEATURING LOCAL ELECTION CLERKS
TO IMPRESS UPON STATE VOTERS
THEY CAN TRUST HOW ELECTIONS ARE
RUN IN THE STATE.
>> YOUR FRIEND IS AN ELECTION
OFFICIAL.
>> YOUR FAMILY MEMBER IS A POLL
WORKER.
>> WE TRUST OUR LOCAL ELECTIONS
BECAUSE OUR FRIENDS, FAMILIES,
AND NEIGHBORS RUN THEM.
>> WE TRUST OUR ELECTIONS
BECAUSE WE TRUST THEM.
>> LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATIONS
PARTNERED TO CREATE THE AD
FOLLOWING TWO YEARS OF DISTRUST
IN THE ELECTORAL PROCESS BUT
UNFOUNDED ALLEGATIONS OF
WIDESPREAD FRAUD.
THE LEAGUE OF WISCONSIN
MUNICIPALITIES SPONSORED THE
SPOT WHOSE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IS
JERRY DESCHANE, HE JOINS US NOW.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME,
HAPPY TO BE HERE.
>> WHY DID YOU FEEL IT WAS
NEEDED TO AIR ADS FEATURING
LOCAL CLERKS TO INSTILL TRUST IN
OUR ELECTIONS?
>> WELL, FREDERICA, TWO
FUNDAMENTAL REASONS.
THE FIRST ONE IS PEOPLE ARE -- A
LOT OF QUESTIONS ARE BEING
RAISED ABOUT ELECTIONS, AND
PEOPLE'S FAITH IS BEING SHAKEN,
IF YOU WILL.
AND WE WANTED TO START FROM THE
REMINDER OF HEY, FOLKS, YOU CAN
TRUST ELECTIONS, PRIMARILY
BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHO IS RUNNING
THEM.
FOR THE MOST PART, THESE ARE
PEOPLE THAT YOU RECOGNIZE, YOU
HAVE SEEN IN THE GROCERY STORE,
SO WE WANTED TO START WITH THAT
MESSAGE THAT HEY, LOOK, YOU KNOW
THESE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW YOU CAN
TRUST THESE PEOPLE.
THEY ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS.
THE SECOND REASON TO BE
PERFECTLY SELFISH ABOUT IT IS
CLERKS ARE UNDER A LOT OF
PRESSURE AND IN THIS JOB MARKET
THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THEY
COULD DO THAT DON'T COME WITH
THE SAME PRESSURES AS THIS, SO
WE WANTED TO GIVE THEM AN ATTA
BOY, AND SAY WE KNOW YOU ARE
DOING A GOOD JOB, KEEP IT UP.
>> WHAT ARE EXAMPLES CLERKS HAVE
BEEN FACING AFTER THE PUBLIC
AFTER THE HIGH PROFILE
INVESTIGATIONS AFTER THE 2020
ELECTION FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS?
>> WELL, WE HAVE ALL SEEN NEWS
ACCOUNTS.
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME DEATH
THREATS.
ON A MORE DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, WE
HEAR FROM CLERKS ALL OVER THE
STATE WHO ARE GETTING ALL SORTS
OF ACCUSATIONS THROWN AT THEM AT
THE LOCAL LEVEL THAT FRANKLY
THEY NEVER SAW COMING, FROM
PEOPLE THAT THEY KNOW.
AND WHAT WE WANT TO SAY TO
PEOPLE, IT'S OK TO HAVE
QUESTIONS, BUT THE BEST SOURCE
OF INFORMATION IS THAT CLERK, GO
AND TALK TO HIM, GOOD AND TALK
TO HER, AND GET YOUR OWN
CONCERNS RESOLVED AT THE LOCAL
LEVEL AND IF MORE PEOPLE WOULD
DO THAT, FEWER QUESTIONS OUT
THERE.
>> ON TOP OF THAT, WHAT KIND OF
PRESSURES ARE CLERKS FACING WHEN
COURTS MAKE LAST-MINUTE CHANGES
TO THINGS LIKE DROP BOXES,
ABSENTEE BALLOTS AND DISTRICT
BOUNDARIES?
>> I DON'T THINK ANYTHING WILL
BE QUITE AS CRAZY AS THE
PANDEMIC WAS, TO BE HONEST WITH
YOU, REINVENT AN ELECTION ON,
WHAT WAS THAT, ABOUT FOUR WEEKS'
NOTICE.
BUT NONETHELESS.
LAST-MINUTE CHANGES ARE PROBABLY
THE WORST THING YOU WANT DO
BECAUSE THE CLERK HAS TO TRAIN
POLL WORKERS, THEY HAVE TO BE
CERTIFIED, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO
BE SURE OF THE LAW, WHICH IS NOT
ALL THAT BLACK AND WHITE THESE
DAYS.
SO WE ASK LEGISLATORS, WE ASK A
LOT OF POLICY MAKERS, GO AHEAD
AND DEBATE THE ISSUES, WE THINK
IT'S FUNDAMENTALLY HEALTHY, BUT
TRY TO TIME IT SO YOU ARE NOT
DOING IT RIGHT UP AGAINST AN
ELECTION BECAUSE FRANKLY IT CAN
BE CHAOTIC AND AS YOU KNOW, WHEN
THE PUBLIC IS CONFUSED, THERE'S
A LAST-MINUTE CHANGE, THAT IN
ITSELF WILL BE DISTRUST.
>> ARE THE NUMBER OF LOCAL
ELECTION WORKERS WANING IN THE
MIDST OF ALL OF THIS?
>> THE NUMBERS ARE NOT WANING
BECAUSE -- WELL, WE NEED TO HAVE
AT LEAST 1832 OF THEM.
THAT'S HOW MANY TOWNS, VILLAGES
AND CITIES THERE ARE IN
WISCONSIN.
EVERY ONE OF THEM HAS TO HAVE AN
ELECTION CLERK WHO IS TRAINED
AND CERTIFIED.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IS THE GREAT
RETIREMENT.
CLERKS ARE WALKING.
I CAN'T QUANTIFY FOR YOU WITH
STATISTICS BUT ANECDOTALLY, WE
ARE GETTING MORE THAN A FEW
CLERKS SAYING I DON'T NEED THESE
HEADACHES, AND YOU KNOW, THERE
WILL BE NEW PEOPLE COMING IN,
THAT'S GREAT, BUT WE ARE LOSING
A LOT OF INSTITUTIONAL
KNOWLEDGE, AND THAT'S A CONCERN,
TOO.
>> ALL RIGHT.
JERRY DESCHANE, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH FOR JOINING US AND TALKING