Oak Creek Suspends In-Person Absentee Voting Over Coronavirus

OAK CREEK, WI — The new coronavirus public health emergency is leaving election officials scrambling to stage an election on a variety of fronts. In Oak Creek, election officials said Monday morning they are longer operating in-person absentee or “early voting” at the Civic Center.

"Due to increased COVID-19 exposure risk, the City Clerk’s Office can no longer maintain sufficient staffing levels to operate these sites in a manner that would ensure a safe or efficient public voting experience," officials said. "Given the city’s longstanding dedication to fair and equitable elections, the decision to end early voting in Oak Creek has been exceptionally difficult for all involved. However, given daily increases in COVID-19 cases on the local level, a critical balance must be achieved between access to voting and the health of election workers and the public."

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Oak Creek residents can still request an absentee ballot online at myvote.wi.gov or by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (414) 766-7000. Online voter registration, which had been previously suspended in Wisconsin, will resume on Tuesday, March 24.

"Even during extraordinarily difficult times, the Oak Creek City Clerk’s Office encourages residents to exercise their constitutional right to vote in the upcoming election. By-mail absentee voting is accessible to the public and safe," officials said.

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