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Consideration of establishing polling place sites for the City of Wauwatosa
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Submitted by:
Steven Braatz, Jr., City Clerk
Department:
City Clerk’s Office
A. Background/Rationale
Due to various factors, some changes need to or may need to occur with the location of polling sites throughout the City.
B. Key Issues for Consideration - Establishing New Polling Sites
Current Polling Sites
• Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church Cultural Center - Wards 22, 23, 24A, 24B (all of D8)
• City Hall Lower Civic Center - Wards 1, 2A, 2B, 3 (all of D1)
• Hart Park Muellner Building - Wards 4A, 4B, 5, 6A, 6B (all of D2)
• McKinley Elementary - Wards 16, 17, 18 (all of D6)
• Mt. Zion Lutheran Church - Fellowship Hall - Wards 19, 20A, 20B, 21A, 21B (all of D7)
• Underwood Elementary - Wards 7, 8, 9A, 9B (all of D3)
• Wauwatosa Library - Firefly Room - Wards 13, 14, 15 (all of D5)
• Wilson Elementary - 10, 11, 12A, 12B (all of D4)
2024-2025 Elections
2024
• Spring Primary - Tuesday, February 20 (if needed) - Potentially small election
• Presidential Preference Primary and Spring Election - Tuesday, April 2 - Large election
• Partisan Primary - Tuesday, August 13 - Large election
• Presidential General - Tuesday, November 5 - Large election
2025
• Spring Primary - Tuesday, February 18 (if needed) - Potentially small election
• Spring Election - Tuesday, April 1 - Potentially mid-sized election
Hart Park Muellner Building
The Muellner Building will be undergoing renovations throughout all of 2024, rendering it unusable for elections. Therefore, we must relocate Wards 4A, 4B, 5, 6A, and 6B. There are no large buildings within that district that can accommodate the number of voters at one location. Thus, this polling site will be split into two.
Elementary Schools
Several factors have led to the decision to cease using school buildings as polling sites. The Community Rooms were inadequate spaces. School safety concerns required the school to be closed in order to use the larger gyms, and it was felt it was unfair to close the entire district when only three elementary schools were being used. It was also logistically difficult to alternate between the gyms and community rooms, which led to poll worker and voter confusion. The parking was either inadequate or non-existent.
Summary of Proposed Changes
This proposal increases the total number of polling sites from eight to nine, with the vast majority of the sites representing one Aldermanic District:
• Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church Cultural Center - Wards 22, 23, 24A, 24B (all of D8)
o No change.
• City Hall Lower Civic Center - Wards 1, 2A, 2B, 3 (all of D1)
o No change.
• Honey Creek Church - Wards 10, 11, 12A, 12B (all of D4)
o New site
o Large parking lot, suitable space, mostly handicap accessible
• Mt. Mary University - Bergstrom Hall - Wards 16, 17, 18 (all of D6)
o New site
o Large parking lot, large space, handicap accessible with a lift to 2nd level
• Mt. Zion Lutheran Church - Fellowship Hall - Wards 19, 20A, 20B, 21A, 21B (all of D7)
o No change.
• St Camillus - Independent Living West Residence - Wards 7, 8, 9A, 9B (all of D3)
o New site
o Large parking lot, large space, handicap accessible
• St. Matthews Evangelical Lutheran Church - Wards 4A, 4B, 6B (parts of D2)
o New site
o Large parking lot with another overload parking lot, suitable space, handicap accessible, street parking available
• Trinity Episcopal Church - Wards 5, 6A (parts of D2)
o New site
o Large parking lot, suitable space, handicap accessible, street parking available
• Wauwatosa Library - Firefly Room - Wards 13, 14, 15 (all of D5)
o No change.
Deadline and Notification of Voters
The statutory deadline for the Council to establish polling sites before the February 2024 Spring Primary is January 21, 2024, which means our deadline is the January 16, 2022 Council meeting. The February 2024 Spring Primary will not be officially determined until January 2, 2024. However, the Clerk’s Office is also in the midst of preparing for 2024-2025 poll worker appointments, recruiting a Chief Inspector and Assistant Chief Inspector for the new site, and scheduling trainings. In addition, there are multiple informational sources that need to be updated with the new polling site locations. So, we are asking for approval now so the Clerk’s Office has adequate time to inform poll workers and complete these updates.
As a courtesy, the Clerk’s Office will send notifications (postcards) to each affected voting household. When those postcards will be mailed has yet to be determined.
C. Fiscal Impact
There are roughly 12,400 households affected by the change in new polling sites. Notifying these households will cost roughly $9,000. Funds have been included in the 2024 budget.
Adding an additional polling site will require the purchase of an additional handicap accessible voting machine in the amount of $3,950 + $205 Post-Warranty License and Maintenance and Support Fees. Additionally, more supplies will be needed. Funds have been included in the 2024 budget.
D. Requested Actions
If acceptable, recommend the Common Council establish the polling sites as follows:
• Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church Cultural Center - Wards 22, 23, 24A, 24B
• City Hall Lower Civic Center - Wards 1, 2A, 2B, 3
• Honey Creek Church - Wards 10, 11, 12A, 12B
• Mt. Mary University - Bergstrom Hall - Wards 16, 17, 18
• Mt. Zion Lutheran Church - Fellowship Hall - Wards 19, 20A, 20B, 21A, 21B
• St Camillus - Independent Living West Residence - Wards 7, 8, 9A, 9B
• St. Matthews Evangelical Lutheran Church - Wards 4A, 4B, 6B
• Trinity Episcopal Church - Wards 5, 6A
• Wauwatosa Library - Firefly Room - Wards 13, 14, 15
E. Attachments
• 2024-25 Polling Sites-Final Proposal-rev 10-19