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Thank You Wisconsin Poll Workers

Conservative lawmakers put public health at risk by insisting on an in-person election.

By Walter RheinPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
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Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

Wisconsin poll workers are heroes.

On April 7th, 2020, Wisconsin held the most dangerous election in history. The state is in the midst of a multi-week effort to slow the spread of the Coronavirus. Our main weapon in this battle has been to maintain social distancing. Schools have been closed since mid-March, and responsible citizens are limiting themselves to one weekly trip for groceries and other supplies.

It has taken an unsurpassed media effort, but citizens have complied with the recommendations of health officials and we’ve been able to prevent exponential spread to this point. Gatherings of more than ten people have been prohibited. People are staying at home, keeping safe, and washing their hands.

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

The April 7th election has been a point of concern for weeks. Democratic governor Tony Evers repeatedly tried to postpone or change the election. Proposals such as moving the date or switching to mail-in were suggested and opposed by the Republican controlled Wisconsin Senate.

As a last effort, Evers issued an executive order to suspend in-person voting. The order was designed to save lives.

The conservative controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court overruled the executive order. An hour later, the US Supreme Court also ruled in favor of conservatives and blocked a lower court’s extension of absentee ballot deadlines.

Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash

It’s important to note that both the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the US Supreme Court voted on these decisions remotely. They make demands of the rest of us they refuse to impose on themselves.

The message is simple, conservatives have no problem putting the lives of US citizens at risk.

Already the media is being flooded with counter-narratives as conservatives try to scuttle out from under their responsibility for this outrage. They’re going to say that Evers waited too long to act, even though he called for an election delay multiple times and met with conservative opposition at every turn. They’re going to say that people should have requested absentee ballots, even though a record number of people did request absentee ballots. So many, in fact, that some clerks have reported over 40% of requested ballots have not yet been sent.

Photo by Sear Greyson on Unsplash

The most frustrating component of all of this is that the purpose of the Supreme Court, both at the state and national level, is to have a legal rather than political focus. There is no constitutional argument that can be made which justifies holding an in-person election during a national pandemic, especially when safer, alternate voting methods are readily available.

The decision goes beyond irresponsible and begins to appear malicious when you note that only 5 polling places were scheduled to be open in Milwaukee. Milwaukee is the most populous region of Wisconsin, and it has also been hardest hit with Coronavirus cases. In a normal election, there are as many as 180 polling places.

Photo by Zan on Unsplash

More polling places could have helped to limit spread. Reducing the number to 5 makes it seem as if conservatives are intentionally trying to construct a kill box. Are they so profoundly stupid that they don’t recognize greater spread threatens everyone, conservatives and liberals alike?

Poll workers should not be expected to work under these conditions. Nevertheless, at 7AM, they were there even though masks, hand sanitizers, and other critical protective gear have been in short supply. They were stuck in small rooms, forced to handle identification cards and talk with individual voters.

Photo by Tai's Captures on Unsplash

The voters too have had to stand in long lines. Make no mistake, when the polls close at 8PM there will be Coronavirus in the polling places. The question is how many people will contract the virus and die in the ensuing weeks.

It is one thing to risk your life in an emergency situation, or in defense of your country when it is at the mercy of a hostile invasion. There are some situations where you have no choice, and brave people must step forward in defense of the common good.

Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

The Wisconsin election represents a scenario where elected Republican and conservative lawmakers did have a choice. They had the option of working with Democrats for an alternative solution which would have protected the integrity of our voting process in a way that protected our citizens from needless exposure to health concerns.

The conservatives elected to put us in harm’s way. People will die as a result of this decision. The polling workers who are laboring in dangerous conditions are fighting against voter disenfranchisement. They are allowing Wisconsin voters the opportunity to vote against conservative lawmakers who would rather see our citizens dead than allow their voices to be heard.

Thank you Wisconsin poll workers for allowing us to cast our votes.

Photo by Parker Johnson on Unsplash

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About the Creator

Walter Rhein

I'm a small press novelist. Shoot me an email if you want to discuss writing in any capacity, or head over to my web page www.streetsoflima.com. [email protected]

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