Another report from the front lines

A friend writing from the Milwaukee area checks in:

I just got home after working at my polling place from 6:30 (a.m.!) to 3:30. I worked at the registration table; we probably registered several hundred new voters. For all the warnings about long lines and hours-long waits, that was not true in Brookfield. We were very busy for the first 2 hours, after that there were no waits at all. If you voted between 10:00 and 3:30, you walked right up to your table. I imagine tonite it will be very busy again.

I'll be curious to read the statistics about voter turnout this year. I'm just not hearing about anything out of the ordinary. Everyone I've spoken to so far reports short to non-existent lines. Maybe there will be more voter apathy than expected, in spite of the closeness of the race.

I loved the way they began voting--the senior member of the crew stood in the doorway with his watch in hand until precisely 7:00 when he shouted, "Hear ye, hear ye, this polling place is now open!"

I like the fact that there's still a bit of ceremony surrounding the vote. It reminds us that voting is not to be treated as a lark.

Finally, she added:

One woman said her ex-husband has been voting in Brookfield for years even tho he's a Canadian citizen. He just lies about being an American citizen. We told her to go to City Hall and report him; I hope she did.

Indeed. I would love to see serious consequences levelled against people who try this. We need to send a message that voter fraud isn't a game.