Oct. 25-27, 2004

Election Day preparation
Election Day is almost here. And the way that the 9/11 terror attacks affected our sense of national security, the Election of 2000 affected our sense of election accuracy and security. The contested ballots and events in Florida made people everywhere wonder could that happen at their polling place? According to Janet Geisler, an election mess similar to Florida is very unlikely in Crawford County. But that doesn't mean that she hasn't been very attentive to her duties surrounding the election. After all, it is a big responsibility to see that the election is conducted in an efficient and aboveboard manner, and that every vote in the county is counted This election, she said, is "definitely one you can't take lightly." How does the county conduct elections? It is a detailed process that begins long before November 2. According to Geisler, the process begins when she distributes the ballots to the towns and villages and to the City of Prairie du Chien. This year that process occurred later than usual due to a lawsuit brought by the Democratic Party in an attempt to keep independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader off of the ballot. Official ballots could not be printed and distributed until the court case was finalized. The Wisconsin Supreme Court decided that the Nader/Camejo ticket would appear on the ballot in Wisconsin on September 30. Geisler got the official ballots in her office on October 4, and had them all delivered to the towns and villages by the next day. "You don't want that to become an issue," she said, "that people can't get their ballot." The other major preliminary process for the election is one that citizens must do ‹ register to vote. Prairie du Chien City manager, Gary Koch said that voter registration this year is running very high. "We've been real busy registering voters," he said, although he noted that they did not have an exact figure of how many voter had been registered yet. There have been a large number of absentee voters as well, he said. "We are above 2000 levels," he said, "and there is a week to go." Both Geisler and Koch expect a very large voter turnout for this election. Wisconsin has liberal voter registration laws. Voters are encouraged to pre-register to vote, but it is also possible to register at the polling place on Election Day. Preregistration makes the voting process go faster on Election Day. The names of pre-registered voters appears on a list when the voter goes to the polling place, so they election judges can simply cross the person's name off of the list and give them a ballot. Pre-registration for voting closed last Wednesday. To register at the polls on Election Day, an individual must bring with them proof of residency such as a driver's license or a utility bill that shows the address where the person lives. Generally you must have been a resident of the state of Wisconsin for ten days to vote, but Geisler says voters can get a provisional ballot vote if they have lived in the state less than ten days. Voters in Crawford County can feel secure about their ballot being counted accurately because all of the ballots in the county are paper ballots that are hand marked and hand counted. Accuracy is the upside to old-fashioned paper ballots. They can be counted and recanted if necessary. Ballots that are not counted because they are not clearly marked must be counted and documented as well. Generally, Geisler says, there are few ballots that are not counted because they are marked improperly in a general election. The drawback to paper ballots is that it is a slow process to count them. Geisler says that T.V. stations begin calling around 9 p.m. to get results for the 10 p.m. news, but it's hard to have much of anything to give them, since only the smallest towns and villages have anything counted by then. "You can't rush them, they have to take their time," she said. Geisler said that she expects to work until at least 2 a.m. on election night. Election results do not become final on election night. According to Geisler, the results don't become official until after the Board of Canvas certifies them. The board is made up of representatives from both parties, and meets on the Thursday following the election. They check the tallies from the towns, villages and cities, and certify the counts. Are there ever problems? "There have been recounts requested by candidates," said Geisler, "but they have never changed the outcome of the election."

Wisconsin absentee ballots provide an easy, no-hassle method of voting for everyone
In a departure from the tradition for elected officials, Governor Jim Doyle, along with First Lady Jessica Doyle, cast his ballot last Thursday rather than voting on Election Day. The Governor and First Lady voted at the City Clerk's office in Madison, taking the opportunity to encourage other Wisconsin citizens to cast their votes early to avoid long lines on Election Day. "I want to encourage Wisconsin citizens to exercise their right to vote early this year," said Governor Doyle. "By voting early at your municipal clerk's office, or getting an absentee ballot through the mail, you can avoid long lines at the polling place on Election Day." The Governor said he wanted to call attention to the importance as well as the convenience of early voting. Many Wisconsin citizens may be unaware that this is one of the few states in which a voter does not need a reason to vote by absentee ballot. Citizens who wish to vote early have two options: they may vote in person - as the Governor will do tomorrow - or they may vote by mail. Voting in person Wisconsin citizens may vote absentee in person at their municipal clerk's office - i.e., City Clerk or Town Clerk or Village Clerk -through Monday, November 1, 2004. Persons voting absentee at their municipal clerk's office may register at the same time if they are not already registered (residency for voting purposes requires ten-day residency). These newly registering voters should bring proof of residency with them, such as a current drivers license, utility bill, a copy of a lease, a university ID, or certain other documents. Voting by mail Citizens who wish to submit their absentee ballot by mail must request their ballot from their local clerk's office by Friday, October 29, 2004. Voters are encouraged to make the request as early as possible however, because the ballot must be returned to their local clerk's office no later than Election Day to be counted.

New greenhouse to enhance student growth at River Ridge
River Ridge High School will soon have a new facility in which agriculture students as well as biology and science students will be able to gain hands-on experience and knowledge. The 30-foot by 40-foot greenhouse, currently under construction at the back of the parking lot, will allow students to test their green thumbs as they grow plants and conduct experiments while studying genetics and other biological and horticultural subjects. "Hopefully, it will enhance our program," said agriculture teacher Pete Drone, who noted that the greenhouse will give students experience and the chance to more fully explore career possibilities. Drone said that River Ridge agriculture students built the infrastructure of the greenhouse last spring. A crew from River Ridge Builders have been working to complete the project by installing a large fan, vents and the Lexon material that will make up the walls and roof of the greenhouse. Gas, electrical and water were installed this past summer. "Hopefully, it will be up and running this spring," said Drone, in noting that tables and a furnace will also need to be set up. The Lexon material of the walls and roof is a sturdy, two-sided, clear material with air between the two sides. Lexon is an excellent material for holding the heat of greenhouse in, said Drone, who noted that Cassville has a similar greenhouse that is working quite well. Drone said that potted plants and vegetables will be grown in the greenhouse at first, while other plants, such as poinsettias, will be raised later on as the program expands. The greenhouse has been about one and a half years in the making.

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October 27, 2004

October 25, 2004