Spring Break
Discussions on elections held in Hibbard
Faculty, students, community members cover wide variety of topics at events
Breann Schossow
Issue date: 10/2/08 Section: News
On Wednesday evening, a panel of UW-Eau Claire faculty, community members and students discussed the elections in Hibbard Humanities Hall.
The panel discussed the question "Are U.S. elections fair?" and ranged from topics of poll workers to convicts to campaign finance.
Carol Schumacher, retired Eau Claire city clerk and elections specialist and Donna Austad, the current city clerk, opened up the panel discussing poll workers and voter registration.
Poll workers, Austad said, are just normal citizens who basically run the elections. While Austad said the office does a lot of its own recruiting, that's where these normal citizens come in.
"Our poll workers are some of our best workers," she said.
She added that the need for poll workers varies with each election, and college and high school students serve as poll workers as well as community members.
Poll workers receive about six or so hours of training, and their work begins before Election Day. However, poll workers have a very long work day, Austad said.
"They start when the voter walks in the door … and hopefully they go to bed before six in the morning," she added.
Poll worker duties include greeting, checking voters and running results, Austad said.
Schumacher said voter registration is very easy, and voters need to bring state-required documents in order to register. These documents include utility bills, bank statements and other paperwork that shows residential proof.
"I think Wisconsin is a wonderful state because they don't put a whole lot of roadblocks in registration," Schumacher said. "They do want to make sure you are a citizen, 18 and that you've lived here for at least 10 days. Those are the basic requirements."
Gregg Shiver, an ex-felon, followed with a discussion on the re-enfranchising of former felons.
Shiver is unable to vote in any city, state or federal elections and said being unable to vote makes him feel like a second-class citizen.
The panel discussed the question "Are U.S. elections fair?" and ranged from topics of poll workers to convicts to campaign finance.
Carol Schumacher, retired Eau Claire city clerk and elections specialist and Donna Austad, the current city clerk, opened up the panel discussing poll workers and voter registration.
Poll workers, Austad said, are just normal citizens who basically run the elections. While Austad said the office does a lot of its own recruiting, that's where these normal citizens come in.
"Our poll workers are some of our best workers," she said.
She added that the need for poll workers varies with each election, and college and high school students serve as poll workers as well as community members.
Poll workers receive about six or so hours of training, and their work begins before Election Day. However, poll workers have a very long work day, Austad said.
"They start when the voter walks in the door … and hopefully they go to bed before six in the morning," she added.
Poll worker duties include greeting, checking voters and running results, Austad said.
Schumacher said voter registration is very easy, and voters need to bring state-required documents in order to register. These documents include utility bills, bank statements and other paperwork that shows residential proof.
"I think Wisconsin is a wonderful state because they don't put a whole lot of roadblocks in registration," Schumacher said. "They do want to make sure you are a citizen, 18 and that you've lived here for at least 10 days. Those are the basic requirements."
Gregg Shiver, an ex-felon, followed with a discussion on the re-enfranchising of former felons.
Shiver is unable to vote in any city, state or federal elections and said being unable to vote makes him feel like a second-class citizen.
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