GREEN BAY, Wis. (NBC 26) -- The city of Green Bay spent CARES Act funds dedicated to the upcoming election on five new steel ballot drop off boxes that are officially in operation around the city.
Green Bay only had one ballot drop off box for the last presidential election in 2016. That wooden one behind City Hall is one of the six total available to Green Bay voters now through Election Day. There is another one on Jefferson Street in front of City Hall.
There are two on the East side of the city (at McAuliffe Park and in front of the GBEA building) and two on the West side (by the old Sears building and in front of Festival) as well.
"Given some money that we received from the CARES Act funding for elections, in addition to some money we received from the Center of Tech and Civic Life, we got installed five new ballot boxes made of steel," Celestine Jeffreys, Mayor Genrich's Chief of Staff said of the new additions. "And they're all drive up!"
Jeffreys said it was important for them to be convenient locations for voters as well as on secure property that the city owns in order to properly monitor them 24/7 with cameras. The security technology was also bought with the same money from Congress and the Center of Tech and Civic Life.
Heather Peterman dropped her completed ballot in one of the six drop boxes today, and is thankful that the city expanded this option.
"I think they're absolutely fantastic. It's a safe way to vote," Peterman said. "You don't have to stand in line and you're not jeopardizing your health or other people's health, and you just have a solid mind that you know it's going to the right place at the right time."
Peterman voted absentee for the first time in April, and was eager to do so again this election.
"I never thought of it before until the whole pandemic started," Peterman said. "I have a really nice polling place a couple blocks from my house that I walk to, and then April's the first time I voted absentee and I really dug it. I got to go check it out on the internet and see when ti went through."
Jeffreys said that ballots are collected daily from these drop boxes by community service officers, and will be picked up more frequently as we near the election. Jeffreys said this is a guaranteed way to have your ballot in the clerk's office within a day and prepared for tabulation on Election Day.
The four ballot boxes on the East and West side are open until 7 p.m. daily. The City Hall drop off boxes are open until 8 p.m. daily, including Election Day.