What Happens on Election Day?

Written By: Janette Locke  |  Posted: Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

On Thursday, July 29th at the Chippewa Valley Technical College, Eau Claire's city clerk, Donna Augsten, and Kathy Berneir, both talked about the election process in Wisconsin. Donna has been involved with the election process for 21 years and has spent six years as a deputy clerk and the last 15 years as a county clerk. She and Kathy, Chippewa County's county clerk of twelve years, work closely together to keep the election as smooth of a process as they can.

Donna Augsten explained that the GAB (Government Accountability Board) basically sets all of the rules for the election process and the officials and volunteers who work the election places on Election Day. This board of six former judges and their staff keep county, city and municipal clerks informed of election information, update them on new acts, legislations and rules and also train new workers. The workers are the Election Officials (the bosses who oversee the show at the polling place on election day and make sure the rules are followed), the Election Inspectors (the workers who actually run the elections, register voters and keep the election smooth), Special Registration Deputies (people who come to the clerk's office or the elections office and ask to be trained and appointed as a deputy because they want to conduct a registration drive), and there are also Election Observers who are people that are usually working for a candidate and must receive prior permission to observe an election.

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