Is this photo appropriate in light of credible election integrity concerns surrounding absentee ballots in Wisconsin and throughout the country? Imagine what those in Kronenwetter must now be thinking about the security and integrity of their ballots.
Here are some questions for village officials:
Who is this person? Her face is entirely covered.
Is this an elections official? If so, is this appropriate for an elections official to post this on social media?
Or is this a ballot harvester?
Who else posed for photos? Who took the photo? Who else was present during this photo? Was a personal cell phone used to take these photos?
Are there more photos that were taken that expose personal information, including the signatures of the voters?
What’s the chain of custody policy after a social media photo-op?
Is this legal? It is illegal in some states for voters to take and post photos of their ballots.
What if an elected official had posed for a photo like this and posted it on social media?
It appears from the exchange of comments posted on Facebook between concerned Kronenwetter residents and Village of Kronenwetter Clerk, Bobbi Jo Birk-LaBarge, she is the person in the photo. What is alarming is that she responds to these residents (whom she works for) in a completely disrespectful manner and is dismissive of their concerns over her lack of judgment.
One uninformed person commented on the Facebook post that the ballots might be “props.” Do props get counted in the vote tally? Another ineptly stated that the photo was “harmless.” Harmless until ballots are lost or stolen?
What other questionable behavior is the Kronenwetter clerk involved in?
WSAU Radio has been made aware of a significant error on ballots issued from the Village of Kronenwetter. There are two school districts in Kronenwetter, therefore two different ballots being issued to voters. So far, we’ve discovered that Village Clerk Birk-LaBarge issued incorrect ballots to absentee voters residing in the Township of Reid. These ballots do not have the Mosinee School District referendum question on them.
How many ballots have been affected by this?
The Village Clerk should be focused on her job of ensuring that voters receive the correct ballots. Her priority should be election integrity, not photo ops on Facebook.
If Wisconsin Village, Town & City Clerks are going to be given so much decision-making power and authority, especially when it comes to elections, should they be elected instead of hired? Should voters have a say in who’s in charge of local elections and have Clerks answer to the people?
Did The Village of Kronenwetter Board of Trustees, headed up by Village President Chris Voll, who is also the interim Village Administrator (because they can’t keep an administrator in Kronenwetter) who also happens to represent Kronenwetter on the Marathon County Board, make the best decision for Kronenwetter when they reappointed Bobbi Jo Birk-LaBarge as their Village Clerk? In light of Chris Voll’s full-time job outside of his government positions, is he capable to serve and represent the taxpayers in Kronenwetter?
Chris Voll, Alex Vedvik & Kelly Coyle are up for re-election in Spring 2025. Perhaps it’s time to clean house.
Does Birk-LaBarge take her job seriously? She doesn’t reside in Kronenwetter, thus she really has no vested interest in the decisions she makes other than her paycheck.
Does her callous, unprofessional behavior and incompetent actions instill confidence in our elections?
Does this photo encourage early voting or voting at all?
Finally, will the feckless Attorney General of Wisconsin Josh Kaul be investigating?
Certainly, more questions than answers.
If you are a Kronenwetter resident, contact your Village Board, your State Legislators, the Wisconsin Elections Commission to express your alarm and outrage over this negligent and unprofessional behavior by the Village’s chief elections official.
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