Politics & Government

Greenfield Voters Flock to the Polls in Historic Recall Election

Workers say lines of voters were waiting before the polls even opened on Tuesday's election day between Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Democrat Tom Barrett.

UPDATED: 3:15 p.m. Tuesday

The Whitnall School District meeting room was packed with voters Tuesday afternoon, and it has been all day, said poll worker Denise Collins.

"We've had over 50 percent already," Collins said of Ward 9. "And we've had a lot of new voters, which is good."

Find out what's happening in Greenfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

So many in fact that workers set up new voter registration tables outside of the voting room, a move usually reserved for the presidential elections. The tables outside the voting room streamlined the process and curtailed voter congestion.

"This has been like a presidential election," Collins said. "We had a big crowd (waiting to get in at 7 a.m.), bigger than usual, and it's been steady every since."

Find out what's happening in Greenfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Collins said voter traffic has been so steady that in her ward they still haven't had time to record all of the 250 absentee ballots that were turned in.

As of 2:30 p.m., all four wards at the district meeting room (located in ) were above or near 50 percent turnout, with 709 votes in Ward 11 leading the way.

One ballot machine — Ward 9's — jammed, causing a 20-minute delay, and parking has been sketchy because of the construction around the high school, but Collins and Division of Public Works employee John Laskoski said there have been no other issues.

UPDATED: 12:10 p.m. Tuesday

Greenfield Patch Facebook user Janet Christianson said she was No. 279 in Ward 17 at the Greenfield Public Library, and that was around noon, an indication that will be huge.

UPDATED: 11:50 p.m. Tuesday

Greenfield Patch blogger and Facebook user Jenna Czaplewski voted at the Greenfield Community Center this morning on her way to work.

"I was number 56 for Ward 5," Czaplewski wrote on Facebook. "No problems at all - not even all that crowded, really. Though, generally, when I vote at 7:30 a.m. I'm more often given a number in the teens instead of the 50s!"

UPDATED: 10:15 a.m. Tuesday

Just a few hours into Wisconsin’s first gubernatorial election, voters in Greenfield are coming out in droves to let their voices be heard.

Election officer Terry Delke said there were almost 20 people in line when they opened the polls at today. 

"I’m about two-thirds of the way with my absentee ballots," Delke said. "We can’t log them because people keep coming in."

Election officer Clay Durler says he predicts about a 50% turnout in his ward, maybe even 60% with absentee ballots.

Haven't voted yet? before you cast your ballot

A former Milwaukee County worker Jean Zingshein voted for Tom Barrett because she didn't like Walker's budget repair bill that eliminated collective bargaining for most public employees.

"They took away a lot of my benefits and my union," Zingshein said. "That was a big thing for us. That’s the reason I voted for Barrett. I liked my union."

Check in for updates throughout the day as Patch visits the polls in Greenfield.


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