Polls are closed, and I want to thank everyone who stepped up today to deliver a safe and effective election in South Milwaukee amid almost impossible circumstances.
We will let history judge if we should have voted at all in the middle of a pandemic.
But no matter how that story is written it should clearly note the efforts of our clerk’s office, city employees and other poll workers, led by City Clerk Karen Kastenson.
Without them, we never could have pulled this off. Their contributions will long be remembered, and never taken for granted. Heroes, all of them.
I am told things went smoothly, as I knew they would. Turnout today was very low, with 1,212 voting, out of more than 11,000 registered voters. Of course, more than 5,000 people requested absentee ballots, including the approximately 600 people who voted early the last two weeks.
We’ll add up all the numbers and share them in coming days … but it looks like we will fall short of the 7,485 ballots cast in the 2016 presidential primary. (And potentially well short, depending how many absentee voters did not meet today’s deadline for submitting or postmarking ballots. We will see what comes in the mail the next couple of days.)
Whatever happens, this historic election is done, and counting is underway. Results will be announced on Monday.
I know one winner already: Our team. And I’m proud to lead them.
South Milwaukee Blog 
Mr. Mayor here is a rarity, I agree with you and wish to thank all the poll workers for their service today. Without them we would not have been able to fulfill our voting right. They stepped up and oversaw an orderly election process amidst all the distractions.
Thank you poll workers.
I would also like to thank all those involved in the planning and execution of the election today. We certainly have more to be proud of than the City of Milwaukee.