Kenosha and Racine Counties take steps to keep voters healthy

RACINE/KENOSHA COUNTIES (CBS 58) -- Both the Racine and Kenosha mayors said they were disappointed with the decision to hold Tuesday’s primary election in Wisconsin. However, both cities took several precautions to ensure a safe and healthy election. 

In Racine, all 14 polling locations offered both drive-thru and standard voting despite fewer than normal poll workers. 

“It’s a different election day than we’ve ever experienced before,” Racine Mayor Cory Mason, said. 

Leading up to the primary, Mayor Mason has been very vocal about his thoughts on holding an in-person election during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“It just flies in the face of logic to ask people to stay at home to maintain their social distancing and have millions of people voting,” Mayor Mason said. 

A few weeks ago he sent a letter to Governor Tony Evers asking that everyone be allowed to vote by mail to keep everyone safe.

Mayor Mason says the back and forth on the status of the election Monday at the state-level caused a lot of confusion for voters.

“What the courts and the Republicans and the legislature has done is put people in this terrible position where they have to choose between maintaining their right to vote and do everything they can to stay safe in the midst of the pandemic,” he said. 

Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian also thinks that everyone should have been voting absentee this election.

“It’s regrettable that did not happen and I’m disappointed in the legislature,” Mayor Antaramian said. 

In Kenosha, ten polling places were open instead of the usual 22 due to a lack of poll workers.

While they did not offer drive-thru voting, they took several steps to ensure voting was done safely.

Pens were not reused by voters, there was a barrier between voter and poll worker, and areas were consistently wiped down. 

Only ten voters were allowed in the polling place at a time to fill out their ballot. Results will be counted on April 11.