CHIPPEWA FALLS — Two years ago, the Republican Party nominated three people to be election poll workers in Chippewa Falls.
This year, Chippewa Falls City Clerk Bridget Givens received a list with 43 names from the GOP. In comparison, the Democratic Party nominated just two people to work elections in the city. Between the two parties and dozens of residents who are unaffiliated, a total of 125 people signed up to be poll workers — likely twice the number needed.
“Obviously, the numbers are up significantly from what we had in the past,” Givens said.
Chippewa County GOP Chairwoman Amanda Radle was reached but didn’t comment on why the party submitted so many more names this year than in the past.
After the 2020 presidential election, many Republicans nationwide contend that Trump actually won the presidency. It has led to a renewed push for people to get involved in politics at a local level, including as poll workers.
Givens is likely to use between five and nine poll workers at each of the seven city council wards throughout the next two-year election cycle, from Jan. 1, 2022 through Dec. 31, 2023.
Under state law, the GOP-backed candidates are required to receive the majority of the election jobs in wards where Donald Trump received more votes than Joe Biden.
Trump won wards 1, 6 and 7 in the city, while Biden won wards 2, 3, 4 and 5. In other words, if Givens uses nine election workers per ward for the gubernatorial or presidential election, five of the workers will come from the GOP list in the three wards Trump won. In the four wards Biden won, GOP-backed election workers would hold four of the nine spots, with the other election workers being unaffiliated or Democratic-backed people.
Chippewa County Clerk Jackie Sadler reiterated that the party-backed list is described in state statute. It also means that trained, experienced poll workers who are unaffiliated (non-partisan) may not be used, and will be replaced by newly-trained, inexperienced, party loyalists.
“I believe every municipality in the county received some type of list of poll workers from the Republican Party,” Sadler said. “Prior to this year, it has been a struggle to find poll workers. I’m not going to say it’s good or bad, because I don’t know what the motivation is.”
Sadler added: “I hope anyone who wants to work will realize the procedures are in place so there isn’t widespread voter fraud.”
Givens said all election workers will be trained, and will be reminded that any type of election fraud is a felony. She doesn’t anticipate having so many party-backed poll workers will impact how future elections are operated.
“We still do all the checks and balances we always do,” she said.
The Chippewa Falls City Council appointed the list with 43 Republican nominees, two Democrats, and 80 unaffiliated poll workers last week.
Mayor Greg Hoffman noted that City Council seats are non-partisan, and he hates seeing party politics move into election positions.
“We’re very unhappy with it,” Hoffman said. “I am very uncomfortable with political party involvement, and the appearance. They certainly can’t sit there and tell people to vote one way or another. You should be non-partisan.”
Hoffman added: “I’m very frustrated the government has come to this point. We have no choice in the matter.”
The GOP list includes City Councilman Christopher Gilliam; he would not be allowed to work at a polling place when his seat is up for re-election.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission posted a five-page memo on the agency’s website in November, reminding municipal clerks of the rules and laws about how election inspector/poll workers are to be selected and appointed, because the current election inspector terms expire at the end of this year.
“All 2020-2021 inspector positions are considered vacant and available for appointment,” the Commission’s memo reads. “There are no automatic carry-overs.”
The Commission reiterates in the memo, underlining the statement to make the point, that a municipality must use the party-backed list of workers first, ahead of the unaffiliated workers.
“When lists of election inspector nominees are submitted by one or both parties, appointments must be made from the lists submitted by the Party for as long as election inspector positions are available,” the memo reads.
Under state law, anyone who is an eligible voter is able to be an election inspector/poll worker in their municipality. They also should be able to speak, read and comprehend the English language.
