WEC guidance regarding moving a polling place after consulting with their governing body was only applicable to the April 7, 2020 election. This was affirmed by the Commission during their 12/1/2021 meeting.
UPDATE: Response 3 in the FAQ document cited the Commission’s action regarding moving polling places instead of the SVD process. It has been updated to correct the error.
A. Background. Governor Evers issued Executive Order #72 on March 12, 2020 proclaiming that a public health emergency exists in the State of Wisconsin as a result of the COVID-19 Coronavirus. The Commission held a special meeting on March 12, 2020 and directed that the Special Voting Deputy process to serve residents in care facilities shall not be used for the upcoming Spring Election/Presidential Preference Primary and the Special Election in the 7th Congressional District, and that clerks should instead transmit absentee ballot to those residents by mail. The Commission also determined that the municipal clerk or the executive director of a municipal election commission may relocate polling places located in care facilities to other facilities as determined by the Department of Health Services or local health officials without obtaining prior approval of the local governing body or municipal elections commission.
The Commission also directed staff to provide additional direction to clerks regarding the process changes associated with the Commission’s March 12, 2020 directives.