By Chris Spangler
Not surprisingly, turnout was brisk today as Fort Atkinson voters went to the polls to cast ballots in the presidential and other general election races.
When the doors to the Fort Atkinson Municipal Building gym opened at 7 a.m., the line of voters snaked down North Water Street West.
On the Fort Atkinson Community Facebook page, morning voters reported anywhere between a 10- and 30-minute wait in line.
“We have had these lines since 7 a.m., city Clerk-Treasurer Michelle Ebbert said. “I am beyond impressed. I always am impressed every election, and every election, it continues to grow. It is bewildering.”
By 11 a.m., 2,695 ballots had been counted, she reported.
“We have assigned voter numbers to 2,695 voters,” Ebbert said. “Now not all of those were in person; 1,037 of those are absentee ballots we have assigned voter numbers to. So in person, we’re probably 1,100 to 1,200.”
She noted that “early voteing” ballots are included in the absentees as they officially are considered in-person absentee votes.
Ebbert pointed out that the computer shows the number of voters checking in and absentees being counted, so these numbers are changing continually.
Thus, at 11 a.m., there were 2,695 assigned numbers, of which 1,037 were absentee.
She noted that 145 persons had registered to vote as of 11 a.m. today and another 400 had registered prior to Election Day.
“Typically during a November presidential race, 300 to 400 voters are registered, so we surpassed that before Election Day,” Ebbert said.
Adding the 600-plus newly registered voters as of 11 a.m., the overall number of the city’s registered voters was approximately 7,400.
She said that 3,380 absentee ballots had been returned. As of 4 p.m. Monday, there were 77 requested absentee ballots still outstanding.
“We are averaging about 300 voters an hour today. Things are looking good. Every election is more than the prior election,” Ebbert said.
“This is more than the last presidential, August was more than the last August and April was more than the last April,” she continued. “People are active, people are voting and people care, and that’s fantastic.”
Ebbert asked voters to be patient, because one can never anticipate how long the line will be at any given time.
“The room is set up for not only the ease of the voters, but also for the workers, because we want to make sure everyone is safe and everyone has privacy,” the clerk-treasurer said. “We don’t want people on top of other people when they are saying their address … We want you to put your ballot in the machine and have clear pathways, handicapped accessible, at all times.”
In addition to the presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, federal contests include the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Republican challenger Eric Hovde and District 5 U.S. House of Representatives face-off between incumbent Scott Fitzgerald and Democratic challenger Ben Steinhoff.
Also on the ballot is the State Assembly race between Democrat Joan Fitzgerald and Republican Jenifer Quimby in District 46.
Uncontested seats are those of Democrat Melissa Ratcliff, who is running for state Senate District 16th, and of the Jefferson County district attorney, clerk, treasurer and register of deeds seats.
There also is a statewide referendum question that reads: “Eligibility to vote. Shall section 1 of article III of the constitution, which deals with suffrage, be amended to provide that only a United States citizen age 18 or older who resides in an election district may vote in an election for national, state, or local office or at a statewide or local referendum?”
The polls close at 8 p.m.
Fort Atkinson resident David Stedman, at left, visits with the Rev. Beth Stainforth-Seamster, a Fort Atkinson resident and pastor at First United Methodist Church in Whitewater. She is one of some 75 “poll chaplains” through the Wisconsin Interfaith Voter Engagement Campaign. They are trained to serve as a peaceful, secure, pastoral presence at polls on Election Day. Rev. Stainforth-Seamster was helping direct parking behind the Fort Atkinson Municipal Building following a two-vehicle voter crash at the corner of North Main and North Water streets about 10:30 a.m.
Fort Atkinson voters steadily file into the polling place this morning.
Jessica Robinson, at right, signs in to receive her ballot. The 22-year-old said this is the first time she has voted in a presidential election in Wisconsin. She voted in Georgia in her first presidential election four years ago.
Gayle Boos collects her ballot Tuesday morning at the Fort Atkinson polls.
Pollworkers process absentee ballots that arrived in the mail, as well as those which were cast in person during “early voting.”
Carol Ann Christie signs in at the Fort Atkinson Municipal Building polls.
Dana Bertelsen, at left, is among voters selecting “I voted” stickers to wear on their lapels.
Ahna Fanning, Fort Atkinson, and her 9-month-old son, Kaiser, complete voting. Kaiser appears happy to have experienced his first election, and is even wearing a sticker encouraging everyone to “Be a Voter.”
Chris Spangler photos.
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