Tomorrow Is Election Day In Wisconsin-- And What A Mess!

The situation is fluid in a state with an extreme right-wing legislature and an overly tepid Democratic governor at odds over tomorrow's election. Today the governor, Tony Evers finally called off in-person voting and postponed the election until June 9th because of the pandemic. The Republicans screamed bloody murder and the rightist state Supreme Court sided with them and ordered the in-person voting to go forward ruling that Evers doesn't have the authority to do any such thing. In March Evers had ordered a stay-at-home order for the state, which has 2,267 confirmed cases and 80 deaths.

There are no other states that haven't cancelled in-person voting for the month of April. Virtually all Democrats are in agreement with this, except Biden who-- as usual-- is on the same page as the GOP. One of the most important races in the state is the runoff for Milwaukee County executive, a job that often leads to the governor's mansion. Blue America has endorsed progressive state Senator Chris Larson for the job. This afternoon, Larson sent this out-- before the state Supreme Court ruled against Evers-- to his supporters:

It seems impossible to stay up to date on all the latest news around COVID, the election, and what is and isn’t happening. One very real and likely possibility is that the election will still happen tomorrow and the loosening of when absentee ballots are accepted may again be tightened.

My priority, first and foremost, is the health of each of our neighbors.

For the sake of public safety, I do hope the election is delayed and efforts are made to have every eligible voter vote by absentee ballot in the safest way possible. That’s what I’ve been advocating for from the beginning. But you and I have very limited control over what is actually going to happen. So, we should hope for the best but plan for the worst.

Sadly, I’m writing to say we should plan for the worst. Although Governor Evers did the right thing in calling for a delay in the election, that is likely to be overturned before 7 am tomorrow. Given the uncertainty surrounding the election, many may not vote at all. That said, the most certain way to have your vote counted is to vote on your absentee ballot, have it properly witnessed, and then turn it in directly to your clerk as soon as possible.

If you have not received an absentee ballot, you should make a plan to vote in-person tomorrow. In addition to bringing your ID, I recommend giving yourself plenty of time, wearing a mask, keep six feet of distance between people, and bringing your own black pen to fill out the ballot.

Your election location almost certainly changed. Please check your new location here.

For weeks, I have championed changes to open up access to the ballot box, including sending an absentee ballot to each registered voter as well as extending the deadline for when those ballots will be accepted. Those bills have not sadly not advanced and the legislature continues to fail to convene.

We're actively monitoring the quickly changing situation around the dates and rules surrounding this election. We want to ensure every voter has the opportunity to cast a ballot in a way that is equitable and safe. If there are definitive changes made by the US Supreme Court, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the Wisconsin Election Commission, the state legislature, or a state agency, we will send a follow-up email.

Again-- given the uncertainty around the election, I encourage voters to take steps to get their absentee ballots in as quickly as possible by in-person drop-off. Check with your local municipality to confirm your designated drop-off site. If you do not have an absentee ballot, make a plan to vote safely tomorrow, April 7th.

Lastly, please continue to look after you and your neighbor’s health. If you don’t think you can go and vote safely please stay home. I would rather have you as my neighbor moving forward as we begin the important work of rebuilding Milwaukee County together than have you risk your health to cast a ballot for me. Yes, this election matters but you matter more. Do what you think is best-- no judgment.

Some say the presidential primary part of this election could be-- I hope not-- Bernie's last stand. In 2016 he thoroughly beat the status quo candidate but polls now show Status Quo Joe leading. There have been rumors that if Bernie doesn't win tomorrow the case for him staying in the race will weaken considerably. The 2016 primary saw him beat Hillary 567,936 (56.6%) to 432,767 (43.1%). Of the state's 72 counties, Hillary only won one-- Milwaukee. Hillary harbored so much animus towards the state for her crushing defeat that she didn't bother campaigning there and ceded it to Trump, one of the top factors that brought him to the White House. If Bernie wins tomorrow, he'll be the come-back kid and would have a shot at turning the race for the nomination around. This doesn't look good-- but it also doesn't look impossible. A lot has happened in the last month and little of it has made Biden look like a viable candidate.

Earlier this evening Bernie sent this message to his supporters in Wisconsin: "It's outrageous that the Republican legislative leaders and the conservative majority on the Supreme Court in Wisconsin are willing to risk the health and safety of many thousands of Wisconsin voters tomorrow for their own political gain. Let's be clear: holding this election amid the coronavirus outbreak is dangerous, disregards the guidance of public health experts, and may very well prove deadly. For that reason, our campaign will not be engaged in any traditional GOTV efforts."