Barrett gets complaints for visit to poling place
Taylor points to law: Campaigns banned near ballots being cast
In the midst of a global pandemic that has forced the closing of schools, businesses and restaurants, state Sen. Lena Taylor’s election complaint on Monday against Mayor Tom Barrett may come off as a bit trivial.
But, still, Barrett should have known better. Taylor, who is opposing the mayor in next month’s primary, filed multiple complaints after one of her top advisers said she saw Barrett talking to poll workers, voters and others at the Midtown Center on Monday. Midtown is one of the city’s three early voting places.
State election law prevents anyone, including candidates, from campaigning within 100 feet of the entrance of a polling place while voters can cast ballots there.
“I have always thought it to be illegal for a candidate to be inside a polling location, other than to vote, when their name is on the ballot,” said Michelle Bryant, chief of staff in Taylor’s Senate office and a campaign volunteer.
“However, I noticed that not a single election worker asked the mayor to leave the facility. After a few minutes of walking around and saying hello to people, he exited the building.”
Bryant said she heard the fourth-term mayor say voting at Midtown had been heavy and then repeat on three occasions: “I know I’m not supposed to be here.”
Milwaukee Ald. Cavalier Johnson, who was at Midtown to vote absentee, confirmed Bryant’s account, saying he heard Barrett say something like, “I probably shouldn’t be here.” Johnson said the Democratic mayor was at Midtown for only about five minutes.
Taylor, a Democrat who has been in the Senate since 2005, filed complaints against Barrett with the city, county and state election commissions and the U.S. Department of Justice.
In her complaints, she called for state and federal officials to “take over the spring 2020 election process in the city of Milwaukee in order to assure a fair and unbiased election process!”
You may recall that Taylor was accused by Milwaukee County prosecutors in 2009 of campaigning at a polling place. The complaint said Taylor, who was running unopposed, was talking with and hugging people standing in line to vote.
Taylor denied the accusation, and it was later dismissed by a Milwaukee County commissioner.
In a statement, Barrett acknowledged that he erred.
Barrett said he has been encouraging people to vote early because of the coronavirus pandemic. He said he decided to stop by Midtown on Monday, the first day of early voting, to make sure there were enough workers and to see how they were doing.
He added that he approached no voters — contrary to Bryant’s account — and spoke only to election workers and Johnson during his brief visit.
“I would estimate I was at the site for less than five minutes,” Barrett said. “However, I realize that even during a pandemic, this is not allowed by our election rules.”
Barrett said he will be reporting his actions to the city Election Commission.
Not that much will happen as a result.
Neil Albrecht, head of the election agency, said in such situations, his office notifies the candidate of the issue and urges that individual to stop or take corrective action. In this case, the mayor would be told not to repeat his mistake.
Albrecht said he isn’t giving favorable treatment to Barrett.
“It just means we’re being consistent in the application of that election law,” he said.