APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – August’s partisan primary seemed to go on without a problem in Appleton. Voters didn’t face long lines and were able to get in and out of the polling location within a matter of minutes.
Poll workers did notice more people voted absentee than in previous partisan primaries, which reduced foot traffic.
They tell FOX 11 they have also seen an increase in people dropping absentee ballots off in person.
“That wasn’t a thing that happened very often before, and there’s been a couple dozen probably today,” Amanda Skorr said.
“Do you think more people have dropped them off today than in April?” FOX 11 asked another worker.
“Oh definitely. Definitely, yeah I would say,” Karl Kaufman said.
In April, 749 Appleton voters received their absentee ballots too late vote.
“Unfortunately there were some circumstances that were out of our control,” Kaufman said.
After a postal service investigation, the agency says a third-party mailer dropped the ballots off too late to mail on election day.
Jane Oliver dropped her absentee ballot off in person.
“With all the stuff that’s going on with the postal service, and they’re cutting hours… I’d just feel better if I drop it off myself. I just really wanted to make sure it got there.”
Abi Keefe requested her ballot too late to mail back.
“I didn’t get it in enough time to mail it, so I live close enough that I decided it was worth dropping it off,” Keefe said.
Kaufman says things were going well at his polling location.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time and I have no doubt about the integrity of the elections and the way we conduct the polls,” he said.
Election officials expect things to be much busier at the polls for the November general election.
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