MILWAUKEE — Absentee ballots are in the hands of Wisconsin voters - and that means the election has begun for thousands across our state.
Making sure all ballots are counted correctly is a must for voters we talked to on a recent registration day in Milwaukee.
Chief Political Reporter Charles Benson takes a closer look at how the city of Milwaukee is preparing for the presidential election to ensure the process is safe and secure.
Paulina Gutierrez is ready for the busiest time of year for election workers.
As the city's new Executive Director for elections - she knows Milwaukee has more polling places - more polling machines - and yes, more votes to count.
However, when it comes to the rules of the road for elections - she says the road map for Milwaukee is the same.
"We operate and administer elections the same as any small community throughout the state of Wisconsin," Gutierrez said. "Whether it's Waupun, whether it's Sheboygan or Bayside, we're all administering elections the same, but in the City of Milwaukee, we just have a lot more to do."
Watch: America Votes 2024: Milwaukee preparing for presidential election
Let's start with early voting and absentee ballots.
In the 2020 presidential race, almost seven out of ten ballots cast in the city were by absentee during a pandemic year.
It was a massive effort for hundreds of poll workers to count all those ballots by machine until after three in the morning, as predicted by the city.
This year, Milwaukee has so far sent out 30,000 absentee ballots by mail. More are expected when in-person absentee voting begins October 22, two weeks before election day at eleven different polling places.
Those ballots are kept in a secured room until they are counted - by state law - on Election Day.
"We secure that room, and only people with IDs and specially trained can enter that room, and those ballots are under 24-hour surveillance. Along with the rest of our building," said Gutierrez.
Milwaukee allows voters to use drop boxes for absentee ballots - an option available to all municipalities but not required.
"They are under 24-hour surveillance, and our specialized team of ballot courier teams come to pick up those ballots and secure them and bring them to us immediately, where they're stored in our secure ballot room," said Gutierrez.
She told TMJ4 she "definitely" trusts the accuracy of counting all the ballots on Election Day because of the checks and balances in place. Gutierrez points out that the final numbers are reviewed by the city, county, and state, meaning three levels of government verify their work.
Milwaukee is still looking tohire poll workers to help with the election - but you must live in Milwaukee County, and old enough to vote.
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