Press Release

MPL to Suspend Branch Library Services on Election Day

By Milwaukee Public Library - Oct 8th, 2020 01:34 pm

The Board of Trustees for the Milwaukee Public Library has authorized a one-day pause of library operations at all 12 branch library locations on Election Day, November 3, 2020. Central Library, located downtown at 814 W. Wisconsin Ave., will remain open to patrons and staff for limited services at reduced capacity. The historic closure, the first of its kind on Election Day, will allow library staff to serve as poll workers and for branches that serve as polling sites to accommodate more voters safely. The COVID pandemic has limited each library’s capacity to 25% of its typical occupancy since they reopened to the public at the end of the summer.

“Milwaukee Public Library has a long history of supporting elections and helping to strengthen patrons’ civic literacy,” said Joan Johnson, Library Director. “We are expecting and planning for historic voter turnout in the City of Milwaukee. By closing these branch library locations for all services except voting, it will allow more capacity for voters without compromising safety protocols.”

Milwaukee Public Library has supported elections for decades – serving as polling sites, housing voter registration kiosks, and assisting people requesting absentee ballots. This year, MPL has expanded its partnership with the City of Milwaukee Election Commission to offer voter assistance at each location and has installed permanent, secure absentee ballot drop boxes at Central Library and every branch. Nine library branch locations will serve as in-person early voting sites from October 20-November 1 and seven libraries will be Election Day polling sites. For a complete list, visit mpl.org/vote

“The Election Commission is extremely fortunate to have Milwaukee Public Library as such a strong collaborative partner,” said Claire Woodall-Vogg, Executive Director of the Milwaukee Election Commission. “Thanks to the Library’s commitment, we have managed to expand voter resources in spite of the pandemic.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.

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