>> THE RULING A WEEK AGO FROM
THE WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT TO
SIDE WITH
REPUBLICAN REDISTRICTING MAPS
CAME DOWN AS THE HIGH COURT
SIMPLY RAN OUT OF TIME.
NOW, THE STATE'S CLERKS HAVE TO
PICK UP THE SLACK AND ADJUST FOR
THINGS LIKE WARDS
BEING SPLIT APART.
LA CROSSE COUNTY CLERK GINNY
DANKMEYER JOINS US TO DESCRIBE
MORE.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
ER.
>> .
>> SO, WHAT ARE THE PRACTICAL
IMPLICATIONS FOR ELECTION CLERKS
OF THE NEW MAPS THAT THE
WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT ADOPTED
A WEEK AGO
>> WHAT WE HAVE TO DO AT THIS
POINT IS GET THEM INTO THE WIS
VOTE TO LET THE VOTERS KNOW WHAT
DISTRICTS THEY ARE IN, AND THEY
KNOW THE CONSTITUENTS, AND
CIRCUMSTANCE LATE THE PAPERS.
WE HAVE TO PREPARE, WE HAVE
ELECTIONS COMING UP IN THE FALL,
AND BALLOTS TO PREPARE, AND
AUGUST BALLOTS NEED TO BE OUT AT
THE END OF THE JUNE, FIND OUT
WHERE THE WARD LINES ARE.
AND MUNICIPALITIES HAVING TO
CREATE NEW WARD LINES.
A LOT OF WORK ON OUR END TO GET
THE BALLOTS FOR THE FALL
ELECTIONS.
>> A LOT OF WORK.
HOW DIFFERENT ARE THE MAPS DRAWN
BY GOV. EVERS FROM THE MAPS
DRAWN BY THE REPUBLICANS IN THE
LEGISLATURE
>> I REALLY THINK THAT VARIES ON
THE DISTRICTS IN THE AREAS THAT
YOU LIVED IN.
FOR LA CROSSE COUNTY THEY DIDN'T
VARY TOO MUCH.
I BELIEVE WITH THE GOM MAPS WE
GAINED ONE DISTRICT, AND IF WE
KEPT THE EVERS MAP WE WOULD HAVE
THE SAME.
AND WE FOLLOWED WITH THE LINES.
AND IT CAME THROUGH PRETTY GOOD
FOR US.
NO MATTER MAP YOU WENT WITH, IT
WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY TO KEEP
MOVING FORWARD AND PREPARE FOR
THE FALL ELECTIONS.
>> SO
IF THE LEGISLATURE'S MAPS WERE
ADOPTED UNDER THE 'LEAST CHANGE'
APPROACH TO THE OLD MAPS WHICH
THEY WERE.
DOES THAT REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF
WORK?
COULD IT HAVE BEEN MORE
DIFFERENT?
>> I DEFINITELY THINK THERE WERE
PROBABLY SOME MAPS OUT THERE
THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED A LOT
MORE WORK.
IF YOU SPLIT THE MUNICIPALITIES
DOWN THE MIDDLE, AND SPLITTING
WARDS ALL OVER.
THAT'S A LOT MORE WORK ON OUR
END, AND THE MUNICIPALITIES TO
GET THE NEW WARDS LISTED ANDER A
LOT MORE CONFUSION AT POLLING
PLACE.
INSTEAD OF AN ENTIRE
MUNICIPALITY IN ONE DISTRICT,
PARTS WILL BE THIS ASSEMBLY
DISTRICT AND PARTS HERE, AND
MULTIPLE BALLOT STYLES AND
MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE GIVEN
CORRECT BALLOT STYLES.
AND IT'S CLEAN FATHER YOU FOLLOW
THE WARD LINE, MUNICIPAL LINES,
AND MAKE IT SIMPLER FOR THE
VOTERS AND THE WORKERS.
>> SO HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE
ROLLER COASTER OF REDISTRICTING
DECISIONS FOR CLERKS
>> IT'S BEEN A FUN RIDE.
TIGHTEN OUR SEAT BELTS AND GO
FORWARD.
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF SAY IN
IT.
WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE
DECISION, AND MOVE FORWARD AND
GET DONE WHAT WE HAVE TO GET
DONE.
NOTHING NEW FOR US.
A LOT OF TIMES NEW LAWS ARE
ENACTED DAYS, WEEKS BEFORE
ELECTIONS.
AND WE JUST GO WITH IT.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED
FOR THAT.
IF YOU ARE A CLERK, WHETHER
MUNICIPAL COUNTY CLERK, CHANGES
ARE COMING AND WE'LL FIGURE OUT
THE CHANGES AND MOVE FORWARD.
THAT'S ALL WE CAN REALLY DO
ABOUT IT.
>> WE TALKED ABOUT VOTERS, BUT
WHAT ABOUT FOR CANDIDATES NOW
ABLE TO GATHER SIGNATURES TO RUN
FOR OFFICE ARE CLERKS FIELDING
QUESTIONS FROM THEM
>> WE'RE FIELDING FROM ANY
OFFICER OR CANDIDATE THAT WILL
BE FILED IN OUR OFFICE.
A LOT OF THE ASSEMBLY, SENATE
CONGRESSIONALS ARE FOLLOWING
WITH FILING PAPERS WITH THE
ELECTION COMMISSION.
THEY'LL GET QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS THROUGH THEM.
LUCKILY FOR US, THE CONSTITUTION
OFFERS -- THE INTERCOUNTY, NOT A
LOT OF LINES TO DEAL WITH.
THEY KNOW IT'S WITHIN THE
COUNTY, AND THEY CAN CIRCULATE
THE PAPERS.
IT WAS A BIG DECISION.
APRIL 15TH IS WHEN THEY COULD
START CIRCULATING, AND YOU
DELAYED THAT, THAT'S LESS TIME
TO GET THE SIGNATURES NEEDED TO
GET THE NAME ON THE BALLOT.
>> RIGHT AT THE LAST MINUTE.
SO HEADING INTO 2022 ELECTIONS, HAS
THE ABUSE OF CLERKS RESULTING
FROM THE TUMULT OF THE
2020 ELECTION STOPPED OR
LESSENED
>> I THINK IT'S LESSENED A
LITTLE BIT.
THERE'S STILL GROUPS OUT THERE,
STILL PEOPLE OUT THERE, THAT
WANT TO KIND OF ATTACK WHAT
WE'RE DOING, AND CHALLENGE THAT
WE'RE NOT SECURE, WE'RE DOING
THIS OR THAT.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
STARTING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS
WORKS.
WE'RE DOING AS MUCH OUTREACH WE
CAN TO THE PUBLIC ON THIS IS HOW
SECURE ELECTIONSES ARE, THIS IS
WHAT WE DO, AND HOPE PEOPLE CAN
START TO UNDERSTAND IT.
WE'RE ALWAYS OPEN TO QUESTIONS
AND I AM ALWAYS OPEN TO DO
PRESENTATIONS TO HELP THE PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING TO
MAKE SURE THAT THE ELECTIONSES
ARE SECURE, AND THE OUTMOST
INTEGRITY, AND PEOPLE CAN TRUST
WHEN THEY GO TO THE POLLS THAT
THE BALLOT WILL BE COUNTED.
>> AND
WHAT ABOUT CHANGES AROUND VOTING
RULES ON SUCH THINGS AS BALLOT
DROP BOXES AND OTHER PROCEDURES
THAT HAVE BEEN THE SUBJECT OF
INVESTIGATIONS AND VITRIOL. HOW
ARE CLERKS KEEPING UP
-- KEEPING UP WITH THOSE
CHANGING RULES?
>> JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE.
FEBRUARY ELECTION YOU COULD USE
DROP BOXES AND APRIL YOU
COULDN'T.
WE WORK WITH THE CLERKS TO MAKE
SURE YOU GET THE INFORMATION
OUT.
WE DID MEDIA RELEASES TO ALL OF
THE PUBLIC.
I DID AS MUCH INTERVIEWS AS WE
COULD.
LET THE PAPERS KNOW, AND THE TV
STATIONS, KNOW THAT THE DROP
BOXES ARE NOT ALLOWED.
AND THE CLERKS PUT NOTES ON THE
DROP BOXES.
AND THOSE ARE THE CHANGES WE
WORK WITH AS THEY COME ALONG,
AND DEAL WITH IT AND MOVE
FORWARD AND TRY TO GET AS MUCH
EDUCATION OUT TO THE VOTERS AS
WE CAN SO THEY KNOW THE NEW