SOUTH MILWAUKEE, Wisc. — Long wait times to vote began on Tuesday for the first day of in-person voting.
“I just figured if I asked, maybe no one else has asked. So, I thought I would check into that,” said Patricia Gensemer.
Patricia Gensemer says she reached out to TMJ4 after waiting for close to an hour to cast her vote on Tuesday in South Milwaukee, before finally giving up.
“It was not moving really. There was a little scooch up every time. But I think it was more people moving closer together, but, it was just standing there, standing there, standing there,” said Gensemer.
Watch: South Milwaukee voters share concerns over long lines during early voting
“The state system was overwhelmed with the high voter turnout, which, of course, we're very encouraged by, but it caused long wait times,” said Patrick Brever, City Administrator, South Milwaukee.
South Milwaukee City Administrator Patrick Brever said once it was determined to be outside of the city's control, his teams began notifying residents in person and on social media.
“It was important for us to be proactive in communicating these issues,” said Brever.
Gensemer said she decided to come back on Wednesday to try again and was able to cast her ballot.
With near-record turnout expected across the state, Brever said their main focus is ensuring every voter is counted.
“This is an important process. It's one that we're all paying a lot of attention to, and we're glad that there are these high turnouts, and we're hopeful that will continue the rest of the period here, in addition to Election Day,” said Brever.
Find out where to vote, what's on your ballot, and much more on TMJ4's elections page here.
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