By SCOTT BAUER
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — More than 97,000 individuals in Wisconsin voted by mail in particular person on the the first day they couldwhich led to lengthy waits at some polling locations, exacerbated by an overloaded pc system utilized by clerks to course of ballots.
Republicans and Democrats pushed voters to vote early, prompting a surge and experiences of individuals lining up for hours at clerks’ workplaces and different polling locations throughout the state on Tuesday.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission reported Wednesday that 97,436 individuals voted in particular person on Tuesday. This quantity is up from the 79,774 who voted on the opening day of in-person voting in 2020. However, as a result of COVID-19 pandemic that yr, the variety of in-person votes declined whereas absentee voting by mail it was increased.
475,460 ballots have been returned Wednesday, together with these mailed in and forged in particular person. That’s lower than half of the greater than 1 million returned 4 years in the past.
There are greater than 3.5 million registered voters in Wisconsin, however voters can register and vote on Election Day.
The larger-than-expected inflow of voters Tuesday brought on a slowdown within the WisVote system that some clerks use to print a label that’s positioned on the skin of an in-person absentee poll, the election fee mentioned, noting that employees labored shortly to extend the system’s capability.
The downside persevered Wednesday and appeared to additionally have an effect on state programs not associated to elections, the fee mentioned.
“High ranges of in-person mail voting nonetheless seem to exacerbate the issue,” he mentioned.
Ann Jacobs, the committee’s Democratic chair, put a optimistic spin on the delay, calling the massive turnout that brought on the issue “distinctive.”
“Lots of people got here out,” Jacobs mentioned. “The system slowed down, it by no means fully collapsed, but it surely slowed down so much, we’re fairly assured that it will not occur once more.”
Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell mentioned he wasn’t stunned by the excessive variety of first-day voters, because it’s occurred in different states this yr.
Wisconsin is likely one of the few battlefield states the place the competitors between Vice President takes place Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump it might go both means. This has resulted in huge spending by each events within the state, encouragement to vote early, and quite a few visits by the candidates and their surrogates.
“These have been all voters who had made up their minds for a while,” McDonell mentioned. “I believe throughout the state we have seen extra Republicans vote early, which is sweet. There ought to be no distinction in how individuals vote.”
Voters in Wisconsin don’t register by get together, so it’s unattainable to know what number of Republicans and Democrats have returned ballots to date.
McDonell predicted that voter turnout will probably be excessive for a few days after which decelerate. He advisable voters wait a few days to vote in particular person.
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