Governor Evers Doesn’t Want Election Rescheduled
Governor said he's open to mail-in only voting. Encourages everyone to request absentee ballots.
“The bottom line is it’s going to be on April 7th,” said Governor Tony Evers Friday afternoon of the Spring Election in response to a question on safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We could move it to June and it could be worse in June, it could be worse in May,” said Evers. “I understand that it’s a difficult situation.”
Even if he wanted to move it, the act would require a vote of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said he opposes that earlier this week.
“The most important ask here is for people to vote absentee,” said Evers. Absentee ballots can be requested on the My Vote WI website. Milwaukee County voters can call 414-278-VOTE (8683) for more information. “I want to encourage you to request your absentee ballots now,” said Evers in his opening remarks.
Could a mail-in only election be held? “That could be,” said the Governor. It would require the Wisconsin State Legislature to act. Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington conduct their elections solely by mail, sending ballots to all registered voters. “My opinion is having that opportunity to mail in is one that we should consider going forward.”
In Milwaukee the city is expecting at least 50,000 people to vote absentee, a five-fold increase over the 2016 Presidential election. That surge in volume is expected to cause delays in counting the ballots.
The Milwaukee Election Commission is also bracing for the impact on its 1,800 poll workers. Over 900 are over the age of 60 and approximately 600 are over the age of 70. “We want those election workers to be able to sit out this election,” said commission executive director Neil Albrecht last Sunday. Earlier this week Albrecht told Urban Milwaukee that the city needed only 400 more replacements. The job pays $130.
Early Voting Underway
If you’re not comfortable voting by mail, early voting is underway at three city sites.
Voters can cast ballots and register from 8 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at either the Zeidler Municipal Building (841 N. Broadway), Midtown Center (5700 W. Capitol Dr.) or Zablocki Library (3501 W. Oklahoma Ave.). Weekend voting starts Saturday, March 28th and runs from 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Early voting ends April 5th.
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More about the 2020 Spring Primary
- Why Don Natzke Couldn’t Vote - Enjoyiana Nururdin - Aug 9th, 2020
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report highlights public health measures taken by the Milwaukee Health and Fire Departments, Department of Administration, Election Commission, and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Aug 4th, 2020
- CDC Says Election Did Not Cause COVID-19 Spike - Erik Gunn - Aug 4th, 2020
- Pandemic Reduced Black Vote, Study Finds - Dee J. Hall - Jun 25th, 2020
- Did April Election Hike COVID-19 Cases? - Alana Watson - May 20th, 2020
- Elections Commission Notes ‘Lessons Learned’ - Henry Redman - May 19th, 2020
- Wisconsin Elections News: WEC Releases Analysis of Absentee Voting in April 7 Spring Election - Wisconsin Elections Commission - May 18th, 2020
- Election’s Impact on County’s COVID-19 Cases Unclear - Jeramey Jannene - May 6th, 2020
- Why State’s Voting By Mail Was Chaotic - Daniel C. Vock - May 4th, 2020
- At Least 40 COVID-19 Cases Tied to Election in Milwaukee - Graham Kilmer - Apr 24th, 2020
Read more about 2020 Spring Primary here
More about the Coronavirus Pandemic
- WI Daily: 308 New COVID-19 Cases - Urban Milwaukee - Mar 1st, 2021
- Wisconsin Anticipates First Shipment of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Mar 1st, 2021
- Marquette University announces in-person plans for fall 2021 semester - Marquette University - Mar 1st, 2021
- Dane County Drops Most Fines Against Dance Studio - Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty - Mar 1st, 2021
- Back in the News: Uline Workers Suffer Higher COVID-19 Rates - Bruce Murphy - Mar 1st, 2021
- Groups Now Eligible for the COVID-19 Vaccine - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Mar 1st, 2021
- WI Daily: 464 New COVID-19 Cases - Urban Milwaukee - Feb 28th, 2021
- WI Daily: 689 New COVID-19 Cases - Urban Milwaukee - Feb 27th, 2021
- HDA Statement on FDA Authorization of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine - Healthcare Distribution Alliance - Feb 27th, 2021
- Gallagher Statement on Pelosi’s Payout - U.S. Rep Mike Gallagher - Feb 27th, 2021
Read more about Coronavirus Pandemic here