The city of Green Bay is conducting its public test of voting equipment that will be used at Central Count ahead of Election Day, October 28, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — With a little over a week away from Election Day, the city of Green Bay is testing out its voting equipment.
A public test of the voting equipment that will be used at Central Count ahead of the Nov. 5 election was held Monday morning.
“We have recently have always been welcoming the media as well as the public to visit and be a part of the process. We want to make sure everyone feels comfortable with the machines and this is just something that is part of the standard operating procedure,” said Deputy Clerk Jaime Fuge about the test.
The public test occurs in every voting jurisdiction in Wisconsin before every election.
It’s an opportunity to observe voting systems and poll workers assisting in testing the equipment.
The purpose of the test is to not only ensure the machines are working properly, but by inviting the public, the city is also being transparent.
Pete Shedlosky is one of three community members who visited City Hall to observe the test. He said, “there were a lot of questions and complaints and things and seeing is believing and I’d like to see if myself and just see what’s going on.”
As a chief inspector for a Green Bay ward on Election Day, Tim Lewis has never been to Central Count. After watching the test, he said, “I have great faith in the people here and the machinery. I have no doubts that it’s all accurate, impartial and complete.”
Following the 2020 election, several lawsuits were filed against Green Bay and City Clerk Celestine Jeffreys. While the lawsuits centered around concerns with how the election was handled, all were dismissed.
Monday’s demonstration, which started with a zero tape to make sure there were no running totals on the machines, followed by the insertion of about a dozen sample ballots to test its accuracy, is meant make sure the public is secure with the election process.
“Essentially, these are mid-range processing tabulators that can process a lot of absentee ballots at one time, so this is very different from what you would see on Election Day at polls. Instead of doing just one individual at a time we can just place in multiple,” added Fuge.
Unlike 2020 when Green Bay, because of COVID concerns, held its central count in the KI Convention Center to allow for social distancing, this year all absentee ballots will be counted at City Hall.
Fuge said, “When a ballot does come in to the Clerk’s Office it is scanned in by a clerk staff. And wonderful this year we do have our central count processing facility right across the hall from the Clerk’s Office which will expedite some of the traveling of the ballots.”
Absentee vote counting, at Central Count in City Hall, will start at 7:05 a.m. on Election Day.
Green Bay is publicly testing the equipment which will be used at the different polling locations Tuesday at 9 a.m. at the municipal garage.
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