HomeMy WebLinkAbout18. 20-206 MAY 12, 2020 20-206 RESOLUTION
(CARRIED 6-0 LOST LAID OVER WITHDRAWN )
PURPOSE: A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN REQUESTING AN EXPLANATION FOR
THE FAILURE OF THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE TO
DELIVER ABSENTEE BALLOTS TO OSHKOSH VOTERS FOR THE
APRIL 7, 2020 ELECTION
INITIATED BY: COMMON COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION
WHEREAS, The United States of America, the State of Wisconsin, and the City of
Oshkosh in particular, have all been impacted by a national emergency due to the
COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, the State of Wisconsin held a general election on April 7, 2020, an
election which included a state Supreme Court race as well as local races for the Oshkosh
Common Council; and
WHEREAS, due to the uncertainty over the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential
impact on voter turnout for the April 7, 2020 election, the City of Oshkosh made a
concerted effort to encourage its citizens to vote in the April 7 election through mail-in
absentee voting; and
WHEREAS, the City of Oshkosh was successful in encouraging its voters to
request absentee ballots; and
WHEREAS,the City of Oshkosh directed additional resources in order to meet the
increased demand for absentee ballots that resulted from its promotion of mail-in voting;
and
WHEREAS, voters began to inquire of the City of Oshkosh as to the status of their
ballots when they failed to receive them in a timely manner; and
MAY 12, 2020 20-206 RESOLUTION
CONT'D
WHEREAS, on March 30, 2020, the Oshkosh City Manager began contacting
officials of the United States Postal Service to inquire about the status of ballots which
had been mailed by the City of Oshkosh but had not been received by its voters; and
WHEREAS, despite numerous attempts for a status report on the delivery of the
ballots, the United States Postal Service insisted up to April 6, 2020, that there were no
undelivered ballots; and
WHEREAS, on April 8, 2020, the Oshkosh City Clerk was informed by the
Wisconsin Election Commission that they had received a call from the United States
Postal Service that three large bins of mail intended for the Appleton/Oshkosh area were
in a postal facility undelivered; and
WHEREAS, to date the City of Oshkosh has still not received any response from
the United States Postal Service regarding the status of undelivered ballots that had been
sent to City of Oshkosh voters; and
WHEREAS, the City of Oshkosh and its voters are entitled to know the status of
these undelivered ballots.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Common Council of the City of
Oshkosh, Wisconsin:
That the United States Postal Service provide a written explanation as to the
status of undelivered ballots that were mailed out from the Oshkosh City
Clerk's office to voters within the City of Oshkosh for the April 7, 2020
election.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,that the Oshkosh Common Council expects that our
representatives at the state and federal level use all the resources at their disposal to
determine what happened to these undelivered ballots, and why.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Oshkosh Common Council request that the
United States Postal Service provide assurances that this mistake will not happen again,
and provide details as to how they plan to ensure that ballots will be delivered for
subsequent elections so that the mistakes associated with the April 7, 2020 election do not
happen again.