Sen. Julie Lassa's Husband Makes Sure Poll Workers are "Democratic"

City Clerk John Moe is Sen. Julie Lassa's Husband
Is this a "conflict of interest?"

"The poll workers are there to protect the 

system, to make sure it is democratic and that  no wrong-doing is going on." 
~ Stevens Point City Clerk John Moe

While city clerks in Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids routinely work with the Democratic and Republican parties that submit lists of poll workers, in Marshfield, the effort has been sporadic.

'This year, I received lists from both political parties,' said Marshfield City Clerk Deb Hall, adding there are years when no lists are submitted by the parties. This year's poll worker lists were submitted to the Marshfield City Council for approval at Tuesday's meeting.

The lists submitted by the political parties are supplemented by nonpartisan residents who volunteer to be poll workers, Hall said.

Longtime Marshfield poll worker Don Nystrom said he was surprised that political parties submitted lists of who they wanted approved as poll workers.

'The folks that I work with take their responsibility seriously,' Nystrom said, adding he never would have guessed that anyone represented a particular political party.

Every municipal clerk uses the approved political party lists he or she receives to fill poll worker slots on election days, said Cynthia Cepress, Wood County clerk. Nonpartisan poll workers fill remaining positions or vacancies that arise on election days.

Finding poll workers can be difficult. The task is made easier because of the lists submitted by the parties, said Shane Blaser, Wisconsin Rapids city clerk.

'We're fortunate that we have plenty of poll workers because the parties submit lists,' Blaser said.

Besides recruiting volunteers, the political parties provide diligent poll workers, said John Moe, Stevens Point City clerk.

'The poll workers are there to protect the system, to make sure it is democratic and that no wrong-doing is going on,' Moe said.

All municipal clerks interviewed said that regardless of a party affiliation, all poll workers abstain from expressing any political views or opinions while working.

~Marshfield News Herald

Read more here: http://www.marshfieldnewsherald.com/article/20111211/CWS0101/112110532/Local-Dems-GOP-submit-choices-poll-workers?odyssey=mod|defcon|text|FRONTPAGE