Fort Atkinson city officials on Friday released elections stats from the Spring General election held April 2.
According to the release, despite the rain and snow, 2,282 people voted in-person on Election Day.
Including absentee voters, 2,969 city residents voted in the election, representing more than 44% of the city’s registered voters.
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%, the release stated.
“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,” the release noted.
The release credited work done by elections officials with bringing about a smooth process on April 2.
According to the release, 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.”
The release noted that there are three designated spaces for those with handicaps at the city’s municipal building, two of which are found along Water Street, and one of which is located in a public parking lot near the building’s west side.
On election day, the release noted, city staff designated four temporary handicap parking stalls on the building’s west side near the polling place entrance.
According to the release, election officials did not receive complaints during the election relating to accessibility.
As quoted in the release, City Manager Rebecca Houseman said: “In fact, one voter who entered the polling place in a wheelchair commended election officials at the ease of access and voting.”
Within the release, Houseman noted that other options for those who are not comfortable with driving or entering the polling place are available, 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.
Lines move quickly as mid-morning city of Fort Atkinson voters arrive at the polls an April 2. File photo/Chris Spangler.
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