The NNS coronavirus update: What Milwaukee residents need to know the week of Aug. 10 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Bridget Fogarty
August 10, 2020
Officials from the Milwaukee County Election Commission say Election Day will look much different than what we saw in April. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the locations for absentee ballot drop off on Election Day.
Here’s the latest update on COVID-19 in Milwaukee and the resources you need to combat it.
As the city prepares for Tuesday’s primary election, officials from the Milwaukee County Election Commission said voting will look much different than the unprecedented election of April 7.
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Though early voting has ended, here’s what to expect if you choose to vote in person.
While a mere five voting locations were open during April’s election, 168 polling sites will be open Tuesday. Claire Woodall-Vogg, the executive director of the city’s Election Commission, said residents who choose to vote in person can also expect strict safety measures.
All polling locations will have plexiglass barriers separating voters from poll workers, she said. Poll workers will be wearing face masks and face shields, and more personal protective equipment will be available. The polling sites also will have staff dedicated to sanitizing voting booths and other items after use.
Voters will be expected to follow the city’s mask mandate, as well as regulations posted throughout polling locations, to keep themselves, their fellow voters and poll workers safe.
“Hopefully if you’re feeling comfortable going to your local grocery store, you’ll feel comfortable voting,” Woodall-Vogg said.
For anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, curbside voting will be available, according to Julietta Henry, the elections director of the Milwaukee County Elections Commission.
“Curbside voting isn’t anything new,” Henry said, as it has long been a voting option in Wisconsin for elderly residents and those who cannot enter polling locations due to disability.
She said voters will see a “Health Alert” posting at each polling site door, asking them to refrain from entering the building if they exhibit COVID-19 symptoms. The signage will provide instructions on how voters can safely request to cast their vote curbside.
You can find your voting site here.
For more information on what’s at stake in the Aug. 11 primary election and how to vote, here’s what you need to know.
Data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services on Saturday showed 1,165 people have tested positive for COVID-19, a new single-day record. In addition, Milwaukee’s South Side remains a hotspot for the coronavirus.
Health leaders say they are pleased that more residents are taking precautions like social distancing and getting tested, said Dr. Ben Weston of the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management during a media briefing Thursday.
Officials continue to encourage residents to get tested at the free community testing sites at UMOS, 2701 S. Chase Ave., and Custer Stadium by Barack Obama School, 4300 W. Fairmount Ave. You can also contact your health provider, call IMPACT 2-1-1 or take a look at the county’s testing site map to find a testing center near you.
Milwaukee NNS got an early look at the free mask distribution plan. The plan, which still has not been released, details how Milwaukee residents will be able to get free masks provided by the city by the end of August.
The reusable masks will be made by Milwaukee businesses and free for all in the city.
Until the reusable masks are ready, the distribution of disposable masks will continue at the following locations:
Check the City of Milwaukee Health Department’s website for the most updated facts and answers to questions about the mask ordinance.
Look here for up-to-date statistics on COVID-19 in the county. More precautions on how to stay safe and information on COVID-19 can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
Check out our continuing coronavirus coverage.
Looking for more personalized direction to resources and information during the coronavirus crisis? Get connected with News414, a texting-based news resource from Milwaukee NNS, Wisconsin Watch and Outlier Media. You can text MILWAUKEE to 73224 and begin to receive free, personalized data via text messages.