RACINE — The City of Racine is continuing to use grants paid for by the nonprofit that received significant funding from the founder of Facebook to invest in election equipment that can be used long after the pandemic is over.
Pictured here is a handicap-accessible four-station voting booth from Inclusion Solutions, which the City of Racine is considering buying 40 of.
On Monday, the city moved closer to buying 40 new poll booths with the goal of improving handicap access.
The Finance and Personnel Committee voted unanimously to waive the formal bidding process and purchase 40 four-station voting booths from Inclusion Solutions that allow “all voters — with and without disabilities — (to) vote at the same booth,” according to the producer’s website. Acquiring the booths would ensure all of Racine’s 36 wards have a modern, accessible voting booth.
The City Council is scheduled for a final vote on the purchase Tuesday.
The cost would be $34,753.40 and will be paid with funds from grants provided by, the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), the nonprofit that Priscilla Chan and her husband, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, donated more than $300 million to ahead of the 2020 presidential election that Democrat Joe Biden went on to win over incumbent Republican Donald Trump.
CTCL donated to more than 200 Wisconsin communities, with the lion’s shares going to the state’s five largest cities: Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Racine and Kenosha.
Inspired by the Paralympics in 2012 and the strength of fellow wheelchair users, Fiona Carey decided to give it a go for herself. In a few short years she became an athlete and was made captain of East Anglia’s only women’s wheelchair basketball squad in 2018. Fiona, of Cockayne Hatley, Bedfordshire, didn’t let the 2020 lockdowns stop her, swapping the basketball for boxing gloves, and inspiring others as part of the This Girl Can campaign.
Private funds for public elections
Critics have claimed that laws were broken since the money wasn’t distributed evenly. However, Wisconsin has no laws against municipalities accepting donations for the operation of elections, although some Republicans in the Legislature are pushing for new laws to amend or ban the practice.
Fischer
Racine received nearly $1.6 million in grants from CTCL and has nearly $200,000 remaining, Finance Director Kathleen Fischer said.
The funds must be used by June 30.
Movable voting booth
In the coming months, the city is also expecting to receive a “mobile voting precinct” the City Council approved the purchase of in August 2020 using CTCL money, to be purchased from Burlington RV.
Despite the name, the “mobile voting precinct” won’t literally be a voting precinct that rolls through streets like an ice cream truck, allowing for people to run up and vote — it is illegal for voting booths in Wisconsin to be roving.
Instead, it is expected to be used for early voting at different locations: perhaps parking outside a community center for a set number of hours one day and then at a park the next. All dates and locations for voting would be announced a certain number of days ahead of Election Day — the number of days of notice required differ depending on what type of election it is, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission; for example, it’s 40 days for a special municipal election.
There is also the possibility of using the vehicle for voter registration events.
City staff became interested in getting a movable voting booth during elections affected by the pandemic in 2020. Poll workers faced issues when operating elections from inside structures that resembled shipping containers, such as heat or air conditioning failing and needing to run lengthy extension cords into nearby buildings. This vehicle, the city hopes, would negate those problems.
Accessible voting booths
Coolidge
City Clerk Tara Coolidge explained the four-station voting booths are new to the market and sold exclusively through Inclusion Solutions.
However, the booths have multiple benefits, including that they fold up, making them easy to store, move and set up.
“Essentially, this comes with a smaller storage capacity,” Coolidge said.
Due to the funds from the CTCL grant, the city has been able to make a number of purchases to support elections, including electronic poll books, so it was necessary to purchase poll booths with smaller storage requirements, Coolidge explained.
Secondly, the purchase will ensure that every ward in Racine will be accessible and approved under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Lastly, the four-station allows for more light for voters while also providing privacy.
According to Coolidge, many of the current poll booths have aged and are in disrepair.
“I don’t know how many people have been out to vote lately, but our poll booths could use a little love,” she told the committee.
Some of the polling places cannot use the electricity of the poll booths due to broken lights and power cords, according to Coolidge.
Alderman John Tate II raised a concern because people might not be able to social distance using this particular booth style. However, Coolidge said the design of the booth would ensure they could be easily wiped down between uses.
In photos and video: 2020 presidential election scenes from around Racine County
Elections in the age of COVID-19 – Social distancing protocols at Gilmore Fine Arts School
Spanish-language signage directs voters to practice social distancing protocols during Tuesday voting at James F. Gilmore Fine Arts School, 2330 Northwestern Ave., Racine.
Eric Johnson
Election 2020 Caledonia
Madeline Wojtyra, 10, gets an up-close view of the voting process on Tuesday morning as her mom, Stephanie, casts her ballot at Caledonia Village Hall.
Election 2020: Biden Supporters in Mount Pleasant
A small group of Joe Biden supporters, holding a variety of anti-Trump placards and Biden-Harris campaign signs, gathered Tuesday at the busy intersection of highways 20 and 31 in Mount Pleasant, eliciting periodic honks of support from passing motorists.
Waterford’s chief election inspector talks about the election
Voting tables at Festival Hall
Election 2020: Biden-Harris supporters in Mount Pleasant
With election day underway Tuesday, a small group of Biden supporters holding a variety of anti-Trump protest placards and Biden-Harris campaign signs gathered on the busy corner of Highways 20 and 31 in Mount Pleasant, eliciting periodic honks of support from passing motorists.
Eric Johnson
An election in the age of COVID-19
Poll worker Andrea Garcia sanitizes election equipment between votes on Tuesday at Gilmore Fine Arts School in Racine, one of several health and safety protocols put into place in response to the pandemic. Wednesday was another record-setting day in Wisconsin, with 5,935 new cases confirmed, the highest single-day count the state has seen. Spiking numbers of daily cases that started in early September have led to deaths rising sharply since late September both statewide and in Racine County. “A negative test isn’t a free pass to meet up with friends,” Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm said Wednesday. “We should not be having contact with people we do not live with, hard stop.”
Voting in the age of COVID-19 – Mount Pleasant
Village of Mount Pleasant election worker Emily Lemke sanitizes voting equipment at Village Hall late Tuesday morning, one of several health and safety protocols put in place during the ongoing global COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic.
Eric Johnson
Waterford polls
Voters line up at Waterford Village Hall for the Nov. 3 presidential election.
Caryl Perrin
Waterford Chief Election Inspector Caryl Perrin
Waterford voters
Voters line up at Waterford Village Hall for the Nov. 3 presidential election.
Stephanie Jones
Burlington voting
Jason Wiechert enters his ballot into the voting machine at Veterans Terrace in Burlington on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Voting as a family
Anna and Bevin Dawson enter their ballots into a voting machine at Veterans Terrace on Tuesday, Nov. 3, along with the help of their four children.
Stephanie Jones
Steil concludes acceptance speech
Steil acceptance speech
U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil smiles after declaring victory in his first re-election bid during a GOP Watch Party Tuesday night at Route 20 in Yorkville.
GOP Watch Party
Attendees of a GOP Watch Party at Route 20 in Yorkville listen to U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil’s acceptance speech late Tuesday night. It was a busy night at the tavern on Highway 20, with conservatives cheering for every Republican win and booing every Democrats’ victory that came across the television screens.
GOP Watch Party
Attendees of a GOP Watch Party Tuesday night listen to U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil’s acceptance speech at Route 20 in Yorkville.
Steil acceptance speech
U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil declares victory over challenger Roger Polack Tuesday night at Route 20 in Yorkville.
Steil acceptance speech
U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil declares victory over challenger Roger Polack Tuesday night at Route 20 in Yorkville.
Pro-Biden demonstrators in Downtown Racine
Demonstrators standing in Downtown Racine on Election Day hold up signs encouraging voters to cast ballots for the Biden-Harris ticket instead of Trump-Pence.
Adam Rogan of The Journal Times contributed to this report.
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