A story from WTMJ-TV Milwaukee has led to an investigation by a special
prosecutor into possible voting irregularities. Those irregularities involve
campaign workers handing out coins and pastry to mentally disabled patients at a
Kenosha residential facility bingo party just prior to the casting of absentee
ballots.
Both a paid and volunteer worker for state Attorney General and Democrat
gubernatorial candidate Jim Doyle were at the Dayton Residential Care facility
while reporter Scott Friedman was in attendance. Friedman said the staffer left
when she saw the TV camera, but the volunteer handed out to residents quarters
and kringle, a popular local pastry.
"The question is," Friedman noted, "whether these things were given out with
the intent to induce someone to vote a particular way. These are people who
don't have a lot, but they are qualified to vote." Among the votes allegedly
cast was one from a convicted felon, in apparent violation of the law.
Although Doyle has tried to distance himself from the incident, at a debate a
few days later, several dozen demonstrators arrived waving kringle and wearing
bingo cards.
