LETTER: Port election volunteers ‘truly are our own hometown heroes’

To Ozaukee Press:

I would like to personally thank the City of Port Washington election inspectors (poll workers) for their dedicated service to their community during the April 7 election.

They arrived at their assigned locations knowing they would be wearing masks, gloves and working from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. in a difficult and stressful situation and at risk to themselves.

In addition, a big thank you also goes out to the many other volunteer election inspectors who contacted me offering to serve knowing the city was short on staff.

We also were very fortunate to have four National Guard members assigned as trained election inspectors. These individuals arrived at City Hall on April 6 and worked side by side with staff Monday and again on election day until late into the evening. I thank them for their professional and dedicated service to our community and to the state of Wisconsin.

Without every one of the people mentioned above we would not have been able to successfully complete the election.     Another thank you goes to the city staff for their leadership and to the city street department for building the protective screens used to help protect our voters and election volunteers.

There was also a group of election inspectors who spent two weeks at City Hall prior to election day assisting in processing an astounding 3,340 mail-out absentee ballots. This same group also assisted in providing in-person early voting and voter registration to our residents daily at City Hall for two weeks before election day.          

These election workers have my deepest gratitude for their unwavering dedication to the city and the process in the most difficult of circumstances. All of them are truly our very own hometown heroes.                                             

Susan L. Westerbeke
City clerk
City of Port Washington