Some last-minute scrambling for city and town clerks in Washington County as they prep for the Aug. 9 Partisan Primary Election. “If you’re an elected official you cannot work at the polls,” said West Bend City Clerk Amy Reuteman.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission and the Wisconsin Ethics Commission, formerly known as the Government Accountability Board, recently approved a formal opinion “that with the exception of the municipal clerk, elected officials may not generally serve as election inspectors within the same municipality.”
Reuteman said she only had one election inspector this election, District 4 alderman Chris Jenkins, who would have to be replaced.
Other elected officials who have volunteered as election inspectors in the past include former West Bend School Board president Randy Marquardt and West Bend School Board treasurer Monte Schmiege.
It may seem like small shakes, but clerks have a challenging time finding poll workers. The one-page memo about the election inspectors was issued June 21.
“The clerks were like, ‘well now what are we supposed to do,’” said Washington County Clerk Brenda Jaszewski. “Some of the suggestions were to contact the clerks in surrounding municipalities and then swap out elected officials who are election inspectors.”
City and town clerks spend a great deal of time training election inspectors. The decision from the Wisconsin Elections and Ethics Commission will be in effect for Tuesday’s election.