GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Green Bay residents will have two new places to cast their votes early later this year.
However, there’s already been a threat of a complaint being filed on whether the city’s plan is legal.
From increased flexibility to higher voter turnout and improved efficiency, a variety of reasons were given to Green Bay’s City Council Tuesday night to add early voting sites for the upcoming elections.
Panyia Thao told the council people of color and marginalized communities especially stand to benefit from greater accessibility.
“The first thing my parents heard after they were finished and passed their citizenship test was that they now have the right to vote,” said Thao. “But how could they utilize this right to vote when they cannot drive, cannot read, write, nor speak English?”
The two new sites for in-person absentee voting are Johnsonville Tailgate Village at Lambeau Field and St. Bernard Church. City Clerk Celestine Jeffreys says the sites will be open from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on August 7th, 8th, and 9th before the primary election and the same times on October 29th, 30th, 31st, and November 1st before the general election.
City Hall will also remain as an early voting site with similar hours as recent elections, according to city officials.
“I’m not saying it’s right or wrong having additional places,” former Brown County Clerk Sandy Juno told the council during public comment. “What I’m saying is let’s put a plan together.”
Juno pointed out state law prohibits a municipal clerk from carrying out normal early voting functions like registering voters and accepting absentee ballots if alternate early voting sites are adopted outside the clerk’s office. However, city officials say they will be in compliance by creating a new room for early voting across the hallway from the clerk’s office.
“There are very clear laws our staff has to follow and they’re going to follow those laws because that is what we’re charged to do,” said Green Bay City Council President Brian Johnson.
Juno indicated a legal challenge from Republicans is likely.
“To make sure whatever is happening is in compliance with the statutes.”
Adding the new sites comes at a cost of $23,000. The money is coming from the city budget the council passed last year.
Jeffreys says she will have a more detailed plan of adding the new early voting sites at a council meeting in the near future.
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