An overnight tech update at Milwaukee Public Schools briefly turned early voters into unwanted guests on Tuesday, locking them out of several polling places that were supposed to open at 7 a.m. Election commission staff and school personnel scrambled to get doors unlocked, but one site did not open until about 7:40 a.m. Officials said only a small number of voters were affected and emphasized that voting continued across the city.
What happened at MPS polling sites
The Milwaukee Election Commission and Milwaukee Public Schools said a building-access system update ran overnight and unintentionally blocked early access to some school buildings. Milwaukee Election Commission staff then worked with school personnel to reopen the affected polling locations, according to WISN. Election crews and school staff moved quickly at each site to get voting up and running as soon as possible.
Your rights on Election Day
Across Wisconsin, polling places operate from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and state rules require that anyone physically in line at 8 p.m. must be allowed to cast a ballot, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission’s MyVote portal. Voters who ran into locked doors or late openings were urged to stay put and remain in line. You can confirm your polling place and hours at MyVote.
Local election-day context
MPS buildings regularly double as City of Milwaukee polling locations, and election officials keep field crews ready to respond when problems pop up. Milwaukee has dealt with Election Day logistics trouble before, including last year when several sites reported low ballot supplies or temporary shortages and officials rushed additional ballots to those locations, as WISN documented.
What voters can do now
If you were turned away or delayed because your polling place opened late, election officials say you should stay in line if you can or come back later. Polls will remain open until 8 p.m., and anyone in line at 8 p.m. must be allowed to vote. For help finding your polling place or reporting a problem, you can contact the Milwaukee Election Commission at 414-286-VOTE (8683) or use the city’s Where To Vote tool, according to the City of Milwaukee Election Commission.
