The use of a single polling location will be discussed by the Bristol Village Board at a future meeting after some citizens criticized the practice at a meeting Monday.
The village formerly had voters who lived south of Highway C vote at Holy Cross Church while voters who lived north of Highway C voted at Village Hall.
After the February 2020 primary election, the village was informed by church administration that the church building could no longer be used as a polling place, said village Clerk Amy Klemko in an email to westofthei.com
“Because it was during COVID, we had nowhere else to go other than the Village Hall,” said Klemko.
Initially, the village set up the fire station side of the municipal complex as a polling place for the people that voted at the church and the Village Hall side was used for residents who normally voted there. That procedure was used for the April and November elections in 2020. The expected low-turnout August 2020 election was all held in Village Hall, as were all elections held in 2021.
Klemko said she felt the consolidated polling place elections went well and she received no complaints from anyone.
“I have talked with the county clerk and the State Elections Commission and no complaints of any kind were registered with either of them,” Klemko said.
Six residents spoke at Monday’s meeting during citizens comments criticizing the single polling location, though some other audience members also appeared to support that position. One resident, a poll worker, defended the current operation.
Those critical of the arrangement cited long lines discouraging people — especially those who may have had difficulty standing or waiting — from voting.
“I just think we need as a village to consider everybody,” said Sue Kaminski.
Also speaking at the board meeting Monday was Lynn Keller, a village poll worker for four years, She said she was surprised by the complaints aired Monday because she had not heard them before then, adding that she has worked elections where there were lines and others where there were two voters an hour at times. She has walked ballots out to waiting voters with mobility problems and asserted that poll workers would be willing to provide seating for those that need it while in line.
“I think we are as accommodating as possible,” Keller said. “We’re pretty efficient … I take pride in what we do here.”
Some of the residents suggested using the Kenosha County Center would at least provide more inside room if a single location is used, but that is not possible, County Executive Jim Kreuser said Wednesday.
“We are unable to accommodate this request because our facility does not meet the requirements on a number of levels,” Kreuser said in an email to westofthei.com “The Village of Bristol Administration has been doing an excellent job with the voting process and I’m confident they will continue doing what they already do so well.”
Village President Mike Farrell said the board and staff would not respond to the complaints Monday because the polling place set-up was not on the agenda. Trustee John McCabe asked that the matter be put on a future Village Board meeting agenda. Farrell agreed to do so.
