When Madison City Clerk Ray Fisher decided to extend office hours on the day of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's Madison rally, Republicans cried foul.
The Wisconsin State Elections Board's decision to allow Fisher to extend office hours elicited criticism from state Republican officials, who perceive the extension as a partisan action that assists Kerry supporters in voting early. Republican officials considered taking legal action Thursday, according to Channel3000.com.
In a press release, state Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, reported that a similar city clerk office hour extension had not been offered to assist absentee voters at any other time during this presidential campaign.
\The City of Madison is basically allowing early voting by request of one campaign. Wisconsin law doesn't permit early voting; it permits voters that can't be at the polls on Election Day to still cast their votes,"" he said.
The Republican Party of Wisconsin has also filed a formal request to Kevin Kennedy, executive director of the State Elections Board, to alert Fisher of his violation of the ""letter and spirit"" of the State Elections Law. The request cites a state statute that guards against absentee voting fraud, misuse and abuse.
Rally organizers encouraged attendants to vote early, something to which members of UW-Madison's College Republicans objected. They also questioned the use of public funds to pay to city workers overtime to staff the city clerk's office.
""It's collusion between the city offices and the Kerry campaign,"" UW-Madison junior Tim Shea said.
While Fisher acknowledged the extended hours were put in place to accommodate the anticipated high number of absentee voters, his office was attempting to efficiently manage the influx of ballots, not to assist a particular campaign. Yet, only 1,206 absentee ballots had been collected as of Thursday night.
According to Fisher, Kennedy determined the extension was neither illegal nor unethical, and said he hoped the offices in other cities would adopt the practice.
Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Seth Boffeli insisted Republican leaders should instead mobilize their volunteers to encourage voters to take advantage of the three-hour extension.
""I think the fact when faced with more opportunities to vote, the Republicans chose to go to their lawyers, instead of their grassroots organizers, just proves what a sorry state of affairs their campaign is in Wisconsin,"" Boffeli said.
