By Rita Lord
Northside News
On Aug. 25, Dane County officials broke ground on a new Dane County Center at 2002 Pankratz St., site of the former Ale Asylum. The facility will be used by the Dane County Clerk’s Office for countywide election operations.
The center will “support secure storage, voting equipment testing, ballot-related operations, recounts and the year-round work required to administer elections. The project brings key election functions together in one location,” according to a statement from the Dane County Executive’s office.
“Free and fair elections are the foundation of our democracy, and protecting that foundation requires skilled public servants and dependable infrastructure,” said Dane County Executive Melissa Agard. “This center is an investment in secure, transparent and efficient elections.”
Dane County Clerk Scott McDonnel said, “With this Elections Center, the County has decided to invest in our democracy and protect the rule of law. This building will provide a safe place for election officials to work, and a secure environment for training, storage, and recounts — a modern facility to protect the integrity of our elections. We will continue to keep our elections here in Dane County safe and secure.”
