At least a few area voters have been confused by a new rule governing absentee voting. Yvonne and George Nelson of Menomonie planned to cast absentee ballots for the 10th Senate District recall primary Monday before taking a trip out of town.
But they were politely told at the Dunn County Courthouse that they couldn’t vote absentee because under the new voter ID law, they needed to vote by Friday. Before the new law had been passed, the deadline was the day before the election.
“I’m furious,” said Yvonne Nelson, who had been unaware of the change. “I feel disenfranchised. We either have to drive a couple hundred miles to come back to town or not vote. “My husband said he’s not driving back 200 miles at $4 a gallon.”
Menomonie City Clerk JoAnn Kadinger said her office had seven requests to file absentee ballots Monday that had to be turned away. She said 239 absentee ballots were cast through her office.
“That I think is a pretty low percentage” of people who were turned away, Kadinger said. Clerks in other nearby towns said they hadn’t witnessed voter confusion.
St. Croix County Clerk Cindy Campbell said she heard of only one incident Monday, although absentee ballots are cast at the municipal level and her office would not necessarily be aware of every incident.
Source: New voter ID rule leaves some absentee voters without ballot – Leader-Telegram: Front Page.