Two longtime Republican volunteers with years of service as poll workers in Racine County were abruptly removed from their duties without explanation or prior disciplinary action, the Heartland Post has learned exclusively. Both individuals, who requested anonymity, have volunteered for several elections and believe they were targeted due to their ties to the Racine County GOP.
The removals come amid ongoing scrutiny of election administration in the City of Racine under City Clerk Tara McMenamin. One volunteer, who began serving in 2013 and advanced to leadership roles at City of Racine polling sites, had previously flagged multiple procedural violations. These included pre-filled ballots discovered at the bottom of a bin during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary and instructions from a polling chief to skip on-site ballot counting at the end of Election Day, instead delivering bins directly to City Hall for counting—a clear departure from standard protocol requiring tabulation and reporting at the polling location before transfer.
The source reported these and other infractions to both the polling chief and Clerk McMenamin’s office. Racine County Clerk’s Office oversees broader election functions, but city-level operations fall under McMenamin. The county clerk position was historically elected; McMenamin’s role as city clerk involved appointment rather than direct election in her initial selection. Both were notified that their services were no longer needed when registering as poll workers for the Spring Election held April 7.
Both removed poll workers are active in Republican circles but properly registered as non-partisan for election duties, as required. Involvement with a political party outside official hours is lawful. When one inquired about reinstatement, they received vague responses citing “complaints from other poll workers” and “voters,” which longtime colleagues flatly denied. No formal reprimands, citations, or performance issues were ever documented against either volunteer.
This purge is reflective of long-standing tensions in Racine. The Republican National Committee previously sued the City of Racine, alleging it failed to hire sufficient Republican poll workers in line with state law requirements for partisan balance. City officials, including McMenamin, have publicly defended their hiring practices as non-partisan.
Compounding concerns, the City of Racine recently notified voters of a ballot error for the April 7 election: an uncontested Municipal Judge race featuring Judge Rob Weber was omitted from ballots printed and distributed through the County Clerk’s Office. City officials admitted they lacked an opportunity to review the final ballot before printing. Early voting was already underway, prompting the issuance of “Ballot B” corrections for absentee voters. McMenamin stated the city was “taking every measure possible to ensure that no one is disenfranchised.”
The expanded and often unsupervised use of ballot drop boxes across Wisconsin in 2020, particularly in Democrat strongholds like Milwaukee and Racine, caused widespread controversy over chain-of-custody issues and security, significantly eroding public trust in the state’s election processes that lingers to this day.
Issues such as ballot omissions, reported procedural lapses, and the sudden sidelining of experienced conservative poll watchers, continue to undermine public trust, which has been fractured for several years. One volunteer expressed willingness to return if allowed, while the other demands transparency. Both view the decision as politically motivated retaliation against those willing to report irregularities.
