“Chaos” At The Polls

Wisconsin voters, including a nurse arriving just after her shift, turned away from crowded primary polling site during controversial vote ordered by the state's Supreme Court. Only five of Milwaukee's 180 sites were opened.

by: Tom Durian

Posted: Apr 8, 2020 / 08:43 AM CDT / Updated: Apr 8, 2020 / 08:43 AM CDT

(WTMJ/NBC News) An estimated 5,000 voters cast their ballots Tuesday at what election officials say was the busiest polling place in Milwaukee. The site at Riverside University High School had lines wrapped around several city blocks from when the polls opened at 8 a.m. until the last voter got inside around 10 p.m.

Anyone who was in line at 8:00 was allowed to vote, but some just missed the cut-off.

Renee Bacon says she just got off her shift as a nurse and rushed here to vote. After looking for a parking space, she got to the end of the line around 8:03 but was turned away.

“I’m sad, I really am upset. Cause they’ve been saying so many different things about how we’re supposed to vote, when to vote, and we can’t do it now. They should keep the polls open later. I wish I had done absentee ballot or something, but I didn’t know it was going to be all this chaos,” said Bacon.

Earlier Tuesday, most voters said it took them around an hour and a half to get through the line, some waited closer to 2 1/2. Lachelle Jones said it was her duty to be here. “We got to do it. We have to do it. They tried to postpone it. It didn’t happen, so, unfortunately, we have to be out here,” said Jones. Inside, poll workers wore personal protective equipment and sanitized voting stations.