Local Officials Ready for Election ’08, Prepare for Record Turnout

October 20, 2008
Joshua Wescott, (608) 267-8823 Rachel Strauch-Nelson (608) 266-4611

Highest Number of Ballots Ever Ordered, Delivered to Polling Stations Dane County has ordered enough ballots to ensure every eligible voter wanting to vote, will be able to do so in the upcoming presidential election. At a press conference Monday, Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz along with town, village, and municipal officials from across the county said they are ready for the November 4th election. County Clerk Bob Ohlsen estimates turnout in the county could be around 80-85% but ordered enough ballots in case those figures exceed projected expectations. Those ballots have been delivered to towns, villages, and cities across Dane County to help local clerks and officials ready for the election. “Whether it’s their first time or 50th time taking part in this great democratic tradition, we want to make sure people’s voting experiences are as easy as they can be,” Falk said. “Given the huge interest we see in the presidential election, we are expecting the busiest polling places ever on November 4th.” “The City of Madison is carrying out unprecedented preparations for this year’s election,” Cieslewicz said. “City officials are working hard to ensure that Election Day is as smooth and convenient as possible for Madison voters.” The number of ballots ordered is based on the estimated number of all eligible voters in Dane County. Approximately 390,000 ballots were ordered. Olsen and Witzel-Behl said should turnout be higher than expected in certain wards, in and around the UW-Madison campus for example, officials will be able to move ballots to those locations from lesser used polling sites. Voters can still beat the Election Day rush by voting early. Early or absentee voting hours will be held in the city of Madison from 8:00a.m. to 7:00p.m. Mondays through Thurdays, 8:00a.m. to 4:30p.m. Fridays, and 8:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. Saturdays, through Monday, November 3. Those interested in absentee voting outside the city of Madison are encouraged to contact their respective clerk’s office to determine hours they’ll be open for voters to cast ballots ahead of next Tuesday. Absentee ballots can be obtained by filling out a request form, available at city, village, and town clerk offices across Dane County. People interested in finding out where they go to vote can use the following websites. Dane County citizens are encouraged to visit: Madison voters inquiring about polling places can check: # # #