City Manager thanks election workers after Spring Election
DATE: April 12, 2024
TO: Media Outlets
FROM: Rebecca Houseman, City Manager
RE: City Manager thanks election workers after Spring Election
Fort Atkinson residents came to the Fort Atkinson Municipal Building on April 2, to vote in the Spring Election and Presidential Preference Primary.
Despite the challenging weather, 2,282 people voted on Election Day. Including absentee voters, 2,969 people voted in the City in this election, which equates to just over 44% of those registered to vote. April elections in the City have seen turnout vary over the last 10 years from a low of 19% in April 2017 to a high of 69% in April 2016. Overall, the average turnout over the last 10 years for April elections is 40%.
City Clerk/Treasurer Michelle Ebbert, Deputy Clerk Courtney Thom, and their team of Election Officials spend many hours preparing, training, communicating, testing equipment and setting up all before the doors to the polling place open on Election Day. That preparation helps the day go smoothly, which it did on April 2. Part of setting up for an Election includes ensuring accessibility for everyone at the Polling Place.
Election Officials understand that the Municipal Building can be a busy place on Election Day and that there is more of a need for handicap parking spaces. There are three permanent designated handicapped spaces at the Municipal Building: two along Water Street and one in the public parking lot on the west side of the building. In addition to those, City staff designate four spaces for temporary handicap parking adjacent to the overhead doors to the west of the polling place entrance.
“There were no complaints to Election Officials from voters on Election Day relating to accessibility,” commented City Manager Rebecca Houseman. “In fact, one voter who entered the polling place in a wheelchair commended Election Officials at the ease of access and voting.”
There are many options for persons who do not feel comfortable driving or entering the polling place on Election Day including in-person absentee voting in the Clerk’s Office before an election; absentee voting by mail, nursing home absentee voting, designating a registered agent to assist hospitalized voters and curbside voting from a vehicle on Election Day. There are processes in place for all of these voting methods, which are used throughout Wisconsin to provide accommodations for voters with all abilities and preferences.
Accessibility of polling place for all is required by statutes but going above and beyond those requirements is a passion of the City’s Election Officials to ensure accessible, free, fair, and transparent elections. April 2, represented such an Election with results that are immutable.
Thank you to our Election Officials for their continued efforts and enthusiasm for the election process. These folks are our friends and neighbors. If you see names you recognize, please take a moment to thank them personally next time you see them:
- John Beauchamp
- Jodi Black
- Rick Bleecker
- David Block
- Terese Block
- Adam Bushcott
- Jess Clayton
- Carrie Doyle
- Tom Fick
- Scott Fries
- David Frigo
- Linda Green
- Rick James
- Kathy Kakuschke
- Larry Ketterman
- Diane King
- Bobbie Koch
- Lori Kojord
- Jeff Newbold
- Laura Nyquist
- Tim Smillie
- Mark Statz
- Nettie Toeller
- Linda Turk
- Becky Tuttle
- Michelle Whisner
- Pam Williams
- Jerry Witkins
“Thank you to City Clerk/Treasurer Michelle Ebbert and Deputy City Clerk Courtney Thom for your dedication to transparency, preparation, and democracy. It truly takes a ‘City’ to run an election, and I am very proud of our City,” Houseman said.
There will be two more elections in 2024 where City staff and Election Officials will continue their efforts at promoting democracy through free, fair, accessible, and transparent election processes. If you are interested in serving as an Election Official or you have any questions about processes or procedures, please reach out to the City Clerk at mebbert@fortaktinsonwi.gov or (920) 397-9901.
