The City of Madison has implemented a vaccine requirement for poll workers in what appears to be a response to Republican gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Kleefisch's call for conservatives to work at polling places during the 2022 election.
Less than eight hours after Kleefisch called for Republicans to visit her website and add their names to a list of nominees to serve as election officials, the Madison Clerk's office sent an email to all poll workers informing them that, "as a City of Madison election official, you are required to give proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
"If you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, we ask that you send two items in reply to this email:
1. Completed COVID-19 vaccine attestation form
2. Image of both sides of your CDC COVID-19 vaccination card OR proof of your vaccination through your personal Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR)."
"This is nothing more than a political power play to prevent those who, for various reasons, have chosen not to be vaccinated from participating in the electoral process," Republican State Representative Janel Brandtjen said in a statement. "Those who have acquired natural immunity, have religious concerns or allergies should not be prohibited from performing their civic duties."
The City of Madison's email made no mention of allowing religious or medical exemptions to its vaccine mandate, which requires that all poll workers are fully vaccinated by January 7.
"Getting vaccinated is a condition of employment with the City as an election official," Madison's vaccination attestation form warns. "Election officials who do not show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
"In addition to discipline, election officials failing to comply with these requirements may be refused entry to the workplace, sent home from the workplace, and placed in no-pay status until compliance with this policy is demonstrated."
The timing of this mandate immediately aroused suspicion, as notice of it was sent out on Monday--just hours after Kleefisch joined "The Dan O'Donnell Show" to announce her lawsuit against the Wisconsin Elections Commission and call for conservative poll workers to sign up before Friday's deadline.
"The Dan O'Donnell Show" has repeatedly called for conservatives in both Madison and Milwaukee to become poll workers in an effort to prevent suspicious behavior by liberal-leaning election staff. The City of Madison has never before implemented a vaccine mandate of any sort for poll workers.
It is unclear whether such a requirement is legal, as the City of Madison does not appear to allow for religious, philosophical, or medical exemptions, which are required by Wisconsin law.