“Our only concern in a situation such as that is if we had not acted quickly enough” to meet demand, Soglin said. “In Madison, the solution would be not to curtail the number of places to vote, but to add to them.”

Stifling the vote is a poor strategy, Soglin said. As a veteran of many elections, he added that “one of the most important elements is hoping for the highest turnout possible.”

Responding to national news that some polling places elsewhere were being moved from schools because of the potential for disturbances, Soglin, Witzel-Behl and Madison school officials all said there has not been a whisper of concern here.

“We have not had any security issues,” Soglin said.

“It is important for schools to be part of the democratic process,” Madison School District Safety Coordinator Luis Yudice added, noting the 32 Madison schools that host polling places all have guidelines and protocols to assure voting “runs smoothly and safely.”