By Chris Spangler
Turnout was steady Tuesday as Fort Atkinson voters were going to the polls to cast ballots for city council, board of education and state superintendent of school seats in the general election.
Fort Atkinson City Clerk Michelle Ebbert said that nearly 970 votes had been cast as of shortly after noon, including those that had been submitted absentee.
“We checked in 473 absentee ballots, so if you deduct that from your voter count, that’s how many people we’ve had in person,” Ebbert said about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. “The ones that we’ve received today, we have not checked in yet.”
Noting that about 10 absentee ballots had arrived at the municipal building this morning, the clerk added, “I would love to see the 300 that are still outstanding” come in yet today.
Those plus the 473 ballots already in by noon total nearly eight times the usual number of absentee ballots requested for elections before the COVID-19 pandemic got under way in March 2020.
“Prior to the pandemic, we had an average of 100 absentee ballots per election that we knew ahead of time were being sent out,” Ebbert said. “Now that number is 500, which is great, but unfortunately, voters are deciding not to vote and are not returning it or letting us know, or if they change their status, they haven’t told us so we’re continuing to mail them based on their request and they’re (the ballots) not coming back.
“That’s a lot of taxpayer money … it is a lot of work and a lot of effort and a lot of materials,” she continued. “It’s great if they want to get the ballot and want to vote on it, but if they change their mind (to receive it by mail), we want them to contact us because that’s extra costs everywhere.”
City of Fort Atkinson electors are facing three races on the ballot.
Four candidates are vying for three open Fort Atkinson City Council seats on the spring ballot: incumbents Mason Becker and Chris Scherer, and challengers Megan Hartwick and Jordan Lamb.
Rhona Buchta is unopposed in her bid for a seat on the School District of Fort Atkinson Board of Education.
Meanwhile, two women are on the ballot for Wisconsin state superintendent of schools.
Jill Underly and Deborah Kerr advanced to the general election after being the top vote-getters from among seven candidates in the February primary.
The current DPI chief, Carolyn Stanford Taylor, was appointed by Tony Evers after he stepped down from that spot upon being elected governor. However, she is not did not seek re-election.
Underly is superintendent of the Pecatonica School District, where she has served for six years.
Kerr stepped down in 2020 after 13 years as the superintendent of the Brown Deer School District.
The polls close at 8 p.m.
Pollworkers Kelly Voelker, left, and Melodee Ebbert process absentee ballots at the Fort Atkinson Municipal Building Tuesday noon. At that time, some absentee 473 ballots had been returned.
Pollworker Dennis Wagie oversees voters placing their completed ballots in the ballot box at the Fort Atkinson Municipal Building Tuesday.
A voter enters his ballot into the ballot machine.
Chris Spangler photos.
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