Alderman Perston Yalmurowski proposes ordinance to bar harassment of election workers; committee forwards to council

An ordinance to add disorderly-conduct provisions protecting election workers was introduced to the Public Safety and Welfare Committee and forwarded to city council for review.

Staff read the ordinance sponsor as Alderman Perston Yalmurowski and read proposed subsections (identified in the meeting as 11.02(a)(8) and 11.17(f)) addressing disorderly conduct related to election workers and penalties. The sponsor said recent local incidents involving harassment and threats to election workers motivated the proposal and said the aim is to "foreclose any possibility of that happening in the city of Kenosha." The sponsor added that "you don't mess with poll workers is, I think, a positive thing." (speaker identified in the meeting as the ordinance sponsor.)

A committee member asked whether existing ordinances already prohibit harassing city employees; the sponsor responded that the proposed language specifically targets poll workers and "goes a little bit beyond what the city worker harassment ordinance does." Staff and committee members agreed to forward the ordinance to full council so a city attorney could be present for legal review. The motion to send the ordinance to council was moved, seconded and approved by the committee; the chair recorded an aye vote.

One committee member suggested federal statutes might also apply to interfering with poll workers; that point was raised as a question in the discussion and was not resolved during the meeting. The committee did not adopt the ordinance on the spot but voted to refer it to council for further review and possible revision with the city attorney.