City jumping the gun on polling place change?

Update: The City Clerk's office said that polling site is being changed at the request of Knapp Elementary. The school asked that they not be used for voting, which is understandable given the disruption Election Day would bring to the school.

But the change still appears to violate state election law and could be confusing for voters. Why not make this change two months ago?

Original Post:

The City Council is considering a last-minute change to one of its polling places less than a month before the Nov. 4 general election.

Based on the minutes from last night's council meeting, Mayor Gary Becker suggested moving a polling place from Knapp Elementary School to the Workforce Development Center. The council voted to send the idea to the Executive Committee for consideration.

But that hasn't stopped the city from listing the Workforce Development Center as the new polling site on its website.

There's some question that this may even violate state law. Here's the statute:

5.25 Polling places. (1) All elections under chs. 5 to 12 shall

be held at the polling places provided in this section. The places

chosen shall be public buildings, unless the use of a public building

for this purpose is impracticable or the use of a nonpublic

building better serves the needs of the electorate, as determined by

the authority charged with the responsibility for establishing polling

places under sub. (2).



(2) In cities over 500,000 population, polling shall be at the

places established by the board of election commissioners. In all

other cities and in villages and towns, polling shall be at the places

established by the governing body.


(3) Polling places shall be established for each September primary

and general election at least 60 days before the election, and

for each other election at least 30 days before the election.

But here's the real question: Why change a polling site less than a month before a major election?