Milwaukee Common Council confirms Woodall-Vogg as Election Commission director

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) - Milwaukee is setting the stage for it’s pivotal role in the 2020 presidential election.

The Milwaukee Common Council approved Claire Woodall-Vogg to head the Milwaukee Election Commission in a contentious 8-7 vote Tuesday, July 7.

Alderman Mark Borkowski said it was important to get leadership in place ahead of what could be one of the most important elections of the past several decades.

“Acknowledge that urgency, and get a quality person on board, ASAP," Borkowski said.

Several alders said Woodall-Vogg needs to answer more questions about prioritizing voters of color, but a narrow majority confirmed her in the role.

“She has literally gone through, in essence, two hearings, on her, in my opinion, qualifications for this position, and I am frankly satisfied,” Alderman Robert Bauman said.

Woodall-Vogg did pull herself from consideration in June, and Alderwoman Milele Coggs took issue with a letter the new director sent at the time, stating: “I look forward to watching one of Alderwoman Lewis’s suggested candidates administer a presidential election. Or maybe, as Alderwoman Dodd and Zamarripa suggested, the mayor should bring back the “openly gay Asian female” who had zero passion for recruitment and training of poll workers.”

“This email was completely unprofessional and disrespectful," Coggs said. "And one could argue that there are other terms within it. And to not even have a public conversation about it is to me, irresponsible.”

Alderwoman Dodd also disputed the accuracy of how Woodall-Vogg charactarized her words.

Woodall-Vogg sent us the statement: "I very much look forward to serving as the executive director of the election commission. I hope to mend some very important bridges with the council over the coming months, as I believe we share very similar viewpoints and values when it comes to ensuring voting is fair and accessible for all communities."

Woodall-Vogg replaces Neil Albrecht, who has stayed on while the city looked for a replacement. He has served as the elections commission director for the past 8 years. She has worked elections out of the city clerk's office in Cedarburg, and currently serves as the Business Systems Administrator for the Milwaukee Elections Commission.