Green Bay Assembly Member Pushes Legislation for Early Processing of Ballots

GREEN BAY, WI- (WGBW) – A representative from Green Bay is supporting legislation that will allow clerks and election officials early processing of absentee ballots the day before the election.

Amaad Rivera-Wagner (D) of Assembly District 90 said the early processing bill attempts to make things easier and faster on Election Day.

“ I am very hopeful that there is bipartisan support for clerks to process absentee ballots– Process, not count– them early.” Rivera-Wagner said. “That will take hours off of central count processes…allowing us to have early nights on election day versus them (results) being late in the morning because of the number of both Republicans and Democrats voting absentee ballot now.”

Rivera-Wagner said it could take over four hours just to open the envelopes containing the absentee ballots. The amount of time it takes to open, process, and count the ballots leaves room for people to make negative claims.

“We can get those election results earlier. And that would help us curb misinformation where there isn’t a big, long space where people can make up that somehow something nefarious is happening when it just takes a long time to count lots of votes,” Rivera-Wagner said. “And if we have some extra time to do that the day before. Clerks would be able to do a better job.”

Rivera-Wagner made his comments following an event featuring former U.S. Capital Police Officer Harry Dunn.