Mayor, Congresswoman Moore Stump for Crowley As Early Voting Begins

Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Congresswoman Gwen Moore. Behind them members of SEIU Wisconsin. Photo by Graham Kilmer.

Early voting began in precincts across Wisconsin Tuesday, and Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Congresswoman Gwen Moore visited the polling place at Midtown Center to encourage local residents to make a plan to vote, to vote early if they need to, and to support David Crowley for governor.

The get-out-the-vote event was organized by the Crowley campaign and carefully staged more than 100 feet from the polling location, one of 11 in the city of Milwaukee where residents can vote early until Sunday, Nov. 1.

Early voting is there to allow residents to vote when it’s convenient so they don’t have to worry about finding time to vote on the actual Election Day, the mayor said. “And we at the City of Milwaukee have worked to make it very convenient, very easy for our constituents to have flexibility, to have options to vote early.” 

Johnson and Moore both encouraged voters to cast their ballot for Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley in the race for governor. Johnson, an early supporter of Crowley’s bid for governor, said, “Voters, the residents of our state, are in the best position in order to get their costs lower, in order to get the child care that they need, in order to make our communities and our state a better place for everybody, so I’m excited to vote for him on election day.”

While the mayor was encouraging voters to vote early, he said he would cast his ballot on Election Day. Moore, on the other hand, was voting Tuesday and marched into the Midtown Center polling place to cast her ballot after the press conference Tuesday.

“But on election day, I plan to be roaming around, watching different poll sites, making sure that people are not denied their voting rights,” Moore said. “We never know what sort of militia or armed or homeland security personnel will be here, and so I’m going to be moving around the city to make sure that our voting sites are secured.”

The Wisconsin Election Commission recently released guidance to local election clerks informing them federal agents should not be present at polling places on Election Day. The mayor said President Donald Trump “likes to create some instability. He likes to create this measure of the unknown in all aspects of his administration. We need to keep our eye on the ball, and that means working with all of our partners at all levels in order to make sure that people feel comfortable going out to cast their ballot.”

Beyond the governor’s race and a slew of state and federal legislative races, Wisconsin voters will also find three referendum questions on their ballots. The questions, if approved, would amend the state constitution to eliminate the governor’s partial veto power, prohibit public health officials from forbidding gathering in places of worship during pandemics and prohibit government entities from diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in hiring.

All three amendments are being pushed by Republicans in the state Legislature.

“I plan to vote for Democrats up and down the ticket. I’m also planning to vote no, no, no on the three referenda questions,” Moore said.