RNC sues Racine, claims city didn’t hire enough Republican poll workers

The Republican National Committee is suing the city of Racine, claiming it didn’t allow enough Republican poll workers to work the August primary election. 

A lawsuit filed Friday said the city did not allow 47 poll workers who were nominated by the Republican Party and appointed by the Racine Common Council to work during the Aug. 13 primary election.

“Racine deliberately excluded Republicans and violated the law,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement.

The lawsuit said in December 2023, poll workers nominated by the Republican Party were appointed to serve as election officials by the Racine Common Council. Two plaintiffs, who were also nominated to be poll workers by the Republican Party, are named in the lawsuit.

“Despite being qualified, nominated, and appointed, the Plaintiffs were neither contacted by the City Clerk nor scheduled by the City Clerk to work as election inspectors for the August 13th Partisan Primary,” the lawsuit said. 

In response to the lawsuit,  Racine City Clerk Tara McMenamin issued a statement that said the city is “committed to hiring election officials who meet all statutory requirements, irrespective of political affiliation.”

“In anticipation of potential increases in meritless litigation leading up to the presidential election, we are steadfast in maintaining consistent standards,” the statement said. “We will continue to adhere to all state and federal laws and provide comprehensive training to ensure that all election officials are fully qualified and well prepared to serve City residents on this upcoming Election Day.” 

The lawsuit comes as Republicans are trying to get more poll workers and watchers to work the upcoming presidential election. Earlier this year, the RNC launched an effort to get over 100,000 “dedicated volunteers and attorneys” deployed across the nation “as part of the RNC’s commitment to ensuring transparency and fairness in the 2024 elections,” according to a press release.

What the lawsuit claims

The lawsuit said a total of 55 people nominated by the Republican Party were eligible to work the Aug. 13 election in Racine. After the party filed an open records request, it was revealed that eight Republicans, seven Democrats and 90 people with no political affiliation worked that election. 

The lawsuit said Gary Hendrickson, a resident of Sturtevant, “was able and ready to serve as an election inspector.” But after working as a poll worker during the spring election in April, “he was not contacted to work, and was not scheduled to work, at any polling location in the City of Racine for the August 13, 2024 Partisan Primary.”. 

The lawsuit also said Angela Bartzen, a Franksville resident, asked Racine’s clerk about when she could attend training to work at a polling location in Racine.

“Ultimately, Bartzen was informed there was no more training sessions available and, thereafter, she was never contacted by the City Clerk and she was never scheduled to work at any polling location in the City of Racine for the August 13, 2024 Partisan Primary,” the lawsuit said.

“Upon information and belief, Defendant knowingly and deliberately rejected Plaintiffs and other Republican Party election inspectors and, instead, scheduled individuals to act as election inspectors who were not affiliated with either the Republican Party or Democratic Party, which is contrary to law,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit claims the Wisconsin Elections Commission has “repeatedly instructed municipal clerks that election inspectors nominated by the Democratic and Republican Parties must be given priority before any unaffiliated individuals are selected or scheduled to work polling locations as election inspectors.”

A spokesperson for the WEC didn’t respond to a reporter’s request for comment on this story.

The lawsuit asks for the Republican poll workers to be allowed to work the Nov. 5 election.