Business & Tech
Here's How Many Waukesha Voters Didn't Return Absentee Ballots
Many Waukesha voters didn't get an absentee ballot on time, or never turned it in. Here's how many voters didn't turn in their ballots.
WAUKESHA, WI — Despite last-minute rule changes, nine out of every 10 voters in Waukesha who applied to vote absentee in the April 7 election had their ballots reach election officials, according to a new report issued by the Wisconsin Election Commission.
Amid the coronavirus public health emergency, thousands of voters in Wisconsin took to the polls on April 7 to vote in the state's presidential primary and statewide general election. Voters in Milwaukee waited in long lines to cast their ballots while also facing the challenge of maintaining at least 6 feet of distance from others.
A federal judge originally ruled that absentee ballots needed to reach election officials by April 13, but that ruling was struck down at the last minute by the U.S. Supreme Court, which affirmed that absentee ballots needed to reach election officials by 8 p.m. on election night.
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According to the Wisconsin Election Commission, a total of 18,453 City of Waukesha residents requested absentee ballots for the April 7 election, and city officials were able to send 18,307 ballots out.
Find out what's happening in Waukeshafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Of those 18,307 ballots that were sent out, 16,634 of them were returned. That means 9 out of every 10 ballots in Waukesha were returned. Wisconsin Election Commission data does not say how many returned ballots ended up being counted.
A total of 1,819 City of Waukesha residents who applied for an absentee ballot either didn't receive one in time, or received one in time, and didn't turn it in, according to Wisconsin Election Commission data.
In Waukesha County, 92 percent of all absentee ballots that were sent out were returned, according to state data. Statewide, about 88 percent of all people who requested absentee ballots had their ballots reach election officials, according to the report.
A total of 142,286 Wisconsinites who applied for an absentee ballot either didn't receive one in time, or received one in time, and didn't turn it in, according to Wisconsin Election Commission data.
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