WINONA, Minn. – A shortage of election judges reported around country on Election Day didn’t happen here. Chelsi Wilbright, the county auditor-treasurer, who’s in charge of elections, said she didn’t hear of any shortages — although it is municipalities that hire judges. “Occasionally, mostly in August and vacation season, clerks will reach out and ask if I can help them find more judges,” Wilbright said. “That didn’t happen this time.” The county has 39 voting places, each required by law to have four judges for general elections.
Disruption threat
Leading up to the November 5 election, candidate Donald Trump warned of election-related violence. The warning was taken seriously because Trump people in 2020 had harassed and threatened poll workers. As a result many of these volunteer judges decided to sit out the 2024 election, which created poll staffing crises in some places.