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After nearly two dozen Wisconsin voters tested positive for the coronavirus following the April 7 primary election, the Allegheny County Board of Elections moved this week to dramatically reduce in-person voting, creating a potential logistical nightmare.
With the June 2 primary less than six weeks away, the shift from in-person to mail-in voting has election officials scrambling to process tens of thousands of applications for absentee ballots.
During an April 23 teleconference with board members, election officials said that the county had mailed 20,000 ballots and processed about four in 10 mail-in ballot applications.
“We are at capacity,” David Voye, the county’s election manager, told board members, noting his team processed about 4,500 applications on Wednesday only to have 2,000 more pour in.The county has doubled the number of employees handling the influx of applications, and County Executive Rich Fitzgerald has pledged additional hands to aid in the effort.
“We will be actively sourcing other employees, including seasonal staff, and temporary staff as appropriate,” Amie Downs, county spokeswoman, said in an email.
Processing the deluge of applications, though, is only part of the headache ahead.
A polling place in East Liberty for the May 21, 2019 primary election. (Photo by Ryan Loew/PublicSource)
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The push for mail-in voting for the June 2 primary underscores challenges for the upcoming election
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