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Oshkosh reviews 2024 election administration; council discusses waiving parking tickets for voters
Summary
City Clerk and staff reviewed election operations after high turnout, acknowledged shortcomings and listed actionable improvements (more equipment, recruitment of poll workers, process improvements). Council discussed options to retroactively waive parking tickets issued around polling sites during busy early-voting periods.
City Clerk Diane and city staff briefed the Oshkosh Common Council on an after-action review of the 2024 election at the Nov. 12 meeting, acknowledging operational problems and outlining steps to improve future high-turnout events.
Clerk Diane said staff is already exploring improvements including acquiring additional Badger Books (voter processing machines), adjusting processes and training, and encouraging voter pre-registration to reduce day-of registration. She said city staff processed approximately 4,000 election-day registrations during the recent election and that facility limitations and staffing constraints were contributing factors.
Tim Patterson, a recent candidate (SEG 2515), told the council he felt embarrassed by the slow reporting of results and expressed concern about the appearance of impropriety; he urged better preparation for future elections.
Councilors discussed expanding contingency plans for high-turnout elections, including borrowing staff or equipment from other departments, creating reserve poll workers and providing expedited training. Several council members urged making an after-action report public and bringing forward concrete recommendations.
On a related matter, the council discussed parking tickets issued during heavy turnout and early voting. Council members asked staff and the police chief about options to retroactively waive tickets in defined locations and times. The police chief explained that tickets were generally issued in response to citizen complaints about blocked driveways or safety hazards, and staff said they would return with parameters and a potential approach for council consideration.
