Polls open bright and early at 7 a.m. on Tuesday for people to cast their ballots in a variety of races for elected offices and to give their yeas or nays to two statewide questions concerning the administration of elections.
Voters will bring to a conclusion the races for Rice Lake mayor and Rice Lake Area School District Board of Education . Candidate profiles were published in the March 20 edition of The Chronotype and are available to read online at Chronotype.com.
Harlan Dodge, an incumbent City Council representative, and Dutch Beckett are running for a two-year term as mayor to succeed Justin Fonfara, who chose not to seek reelection. Four at-large City Council seats also are on the ballot with Jim Resac, Marlene Dirkes, Todd Larson and Shasta Westaby uncontested in the running.
The Board of Canvassers will meet at 10 a.m. on April 4 at City Hall, 30 E. Eau Claire St., to certify the results, and the City Council’s reorganizational meeting is slated for 5:30 p.m. on April 16.
City Clerk/Treasurer Kathleen Morse anticipates between 1,900 and 2,100 ballots will be cast in the city and expects a 40-44% turnout. The busiest times to head to the polls in Rice Lake typically are between 7-9 a.m. and 4-7 p.m.
Voters who want to skip a possible wait in line on Tuesday can vote absentee in person at Rice Lake City Hall through Friday. However, there is no in-person absentee voting the day before the election.
Twenty election inspectors will man the polls in Rice Lake on Tuesday. They will start between 6-6:15 a.m. and will be on duty until their work is completed at approximately 9 p.m.
Morse said voters will see no major changes at the polls on Election Day.
Three seats on the Rice Lake Area School District Board of Education are up for grabs. Keven Jensen, Bert Richard, Steve Bowman, Michael Aagar Lillyblad and Lannah Schulz are running but only the three candidates who receive the most votes will prevail.
The School District Board of Canvassers are scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. on April 8 in the conference room at the Administration Office, 30 Phipps Ave. Following the canvass and the recount deadline, the candidates will be sworn in before they take a seat on the board for their first meeting on April 22.
Four races for County Board positions are on the ballot, but none are for seats held by supervisors who cover city of Rice Lake wards. Those officials running unopposed are Randall Cook Sr., Craig Fowler, Marv Thompson, Burnell Hanson, Stacey Wenzel and Dana Paul Heller.
Statewide referendumsTwo referendums concerning election administration funding and who is allowed to perform election tasks are on Tuesday’s ballot.
If passed, the referendums would amend the state’s Constitution and affect how elections are run throughout Wisconsin. As they have been passed by two consecutive sessions of the Legislature as constitutional amendments, they can’t be vetoed by Gov. Tony Evers.
Question one asks if private funds, for example from donations or grants, can be used to administer an election. Question two asks if only election officials designated by law can perform election tasks.
More details on the two statewide referendums is on Page A3.
Uncontested races of noteElectors may cast their votes for their preferred candidates for the office of the president of the United States, although President Joe Biden has already sewn up his nomination on the Democratic ticket and former President Donald Trump has again been given the nod from Republicans.
Eric T. Kasper is unchallenged to remain Rice Lake municipal court judge, and Samuel L. Lawton is the only candidate to appear on the ballot for the Barron County Circuit Court Branch 2 seat.
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