Racine Insider News

Some received incorrect polling place info. in Racine

Karen Simpson and FOX 6 reporter Myra Sanchick 

RACINE — When Karen Simpson got a letter from the city of Racine last week telling her where to go to vote after redistricting she says she was interested, then confused.

“I’m thinking, ‘why would I go way across town if i live over here, to vote?’ I don’t live nowhere near 12th Street,” Simpson said.

As it turns out, it wasn’t just a single mistake. “I got the letter. My friend at my address go the letter. My son got the letter. My parents got the letter. So it’s probably the whole district I’m guessing,” Simpson said.

Simpson usually votes right around the corner from her house at the Martin Luther King Community Center. The letter gives the wrong address for her new polling place, which would have sent her across town to 2301 12th Street – where there is no polling place!

Racine’s Mayor, John Dickert says when they became aware of the problem, the city sent out a correction letter which people should have received by now. He blames it on a state database issue.

The state Government Accountability Board says there was a computer glitch that caused Racine to send out incorrect polling place information to voters. The glitch took the directional letter out of a north/south street, and may have told voters on the north side of a street to incorrectly go to a polling place on the south side.

However, the wrong address attached to the Martin Luther King Community Center? That, the GAB says is a mistake made in the Racine City Clerk’s office.

For Simpson, a lot of confusion translates into possible confusion on Election Day. “I want everybody to be informed of the right information. It’s important,” Simpson said.

Racine’s city clerk did not return FOX6′s calls Thursday – we’re told there was election training all day. Racine’s mayor says the correct information will be available via the city’s website, and there will be plenty of signs out directing people for Tuesday’s primary election.

No one FOX6 talked with had any information on exactly how many got incorrect polling place information in the mail.