Sussex Runs Out of Ballots on High Primary Turnout

In all the years that Sussex Clerk-Treasurer Sue Freiheit has run village elections, there was one thing she had never seen.

"We have never crossed the 300 mark for voters in a February primary election," she said Wednesday.

On Tuesday, 730 voters – roughly 12 percent of those eligible – went to the Sussex National Guard Armory to cast ballots, Freiheit said.

"We ran out of ballots in the early evening," she said. "We made photocopies of an original ballot and used that for four persons, and we used the touch-screen electronic voting machine for 91 persons.

"It's astounding to me, since we had only one statewide race on the ballot in Sussex."

Freiheit thought that in Milwaukee County there would be a better explanation for a higher turnout, given a multi-candidate primary for county executive and some judicial races.

"I wish I knew why there was a turnout of more than double our previous total," Freiheit said, "because it is very hard to predict turnout."

All she and her staff have to go on is past records, she said, and "nothing pointed to this strong a turnout."

Totals: 730 voters (Approximate 12 percent turnout)

David Prosser, Incumbent, 630 votes.

JoAnne Kloppenburg, 51 votes.

Marla Stephens, 29 votes.

Joel Winnig, 20 votes.