RACINE — In-person absentee (or early) voting remains a popular option here for the Nov. 8 general election.
On Tuesday morning, voters were lined up outside the City of Racine’s mobile election unit parked at James Lockwood Park, 4300 Graceland Blvd. From there, it was headed to the Wustum Museum of Fine Arts parking lot for the afternoon. An elections worker said that lines have been a fairly common sight at most locations over the past week.
Wisconsin elections law allows voters to cast an absentee ballot in person during the two-week period prior to an election. The voting places and hours are set by individual municipal clerks.
The city converted a paratransit van, equipped with a wheelchair lift, for use as a mobile election unit for the general election. Another larger van had been used in previous elections this year, but the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) ruled on Sept. 30 that it was not compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The challenge related to the ADA compliance issue was filed in March by Racine residents Sandra Morris and Sandy Weidner. Weidner is a former Racine Common Council member.
A separate challenge to the city’s use of the mobile election unit was filed with the WEC in August by Ken Brown, Republican Party of Racine County chairman, and the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL). That complaint argues that the unit is vulnerable to ballot-box stuffing and gives the Democratic Party an unfair advantage. The WEC has not issued a ruling in that case.
The previous mobile elections unit was purchased in 2020 with a grant the city received from the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL). The unit was delivered in 2021 and used for voter registration as well as a mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinic that year. WILL and other conservative organizations unsuccessfully challenged the CTCL grants in state and federal courts.
The Journal Times reported last week that Brown planned to file a complaint with the WEC claiming that the unit now in use is still not ADA compliant. However, City Clerk Tara McMenamin confirmed on Monday that the mobile elections unit would continue its planned schedule through Sunday, Nov. 6.
City of Racine absentee/early voting opportunities
- Racine City Hall, 730 Washington Ave., Room 207
- Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday: 9 a.m. to noon
- Greater Mount Eagle Baptist Church, 929 State St.
- Wednesday: 9 a.m. to noon
- Regency Mall, 5538 Durand Ave.
- Wednesday: 3 to 6 p.m.
- Lakeview Community Center, 201 Goold St.
- Thursday: 9 a.m. to noon
- Humble Park Community Center, 2200 Blaine Ave.
- Thursday: 3 to 6 p.m.
- Dr. John Bryant Community Center, 601 Caron Butler Dr.
- Friday: 9 a.m. to noon
- Belle City Square, 2100 Northwestern Ave.
- Friday: 3 to 6 p.m.
- North Beach Park, 1501 Michigan Blvd.
- Saturday: 9 a.m. to noon
- Gateway Technical College, 1001 Main St.
- Sunday: 9 a.m. to noon
Other absentee/early voting opportunities
Elsewhere in Eastern Racine County, the villages of Caledonia, Elmwood Park, Mount Pleasant, North Bay, Sturtevant, and Wind Point are also offering absentee/early voting this week. To learn specific times and locations for your area, visit MyVote Wisconsin online.
Elections
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