Results Expected Monday In Chaotic Wisconsin Election

The results of last week’s election are expected to be tallied Monday, six days after one of the most unusual elections in Wisconsin’s history.

Election officials will begin announcing election results at 4 p.m.

Under a U.S. Supreme Court decision issued last Monday, absentee ballots cast for Tuesday’s election can be accepted by clerks until 4 p.m. Monday as long as they were postmarked or delivered by 8 p.m. Tuesday in order to be counted.

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The six-day cushion is meant to accommodate ballots mailed on election day and delays in the postal service amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the coronavirus pandemic and last-minute legal wrangling, voters were tasked with deciding on the Democratic presidential primary, a state Supreme Court race and a proposed amendment to the state constitution. There were also thousands of local offices on ballots across the state, including county executives, county board seats and mayors.

Presidential Primary, State Supreme Court Race Top Ballot

Voters had a number of races and measures to consider on Tuesday’s ballot.

In the Democratic presidential primary, former Vice President Joe Biden is competing against U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders from Vermont for the party’s nomination. Sanders announced last week he was suspending his presidential campaign.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly is running for a 10-year term against Dane County Circuit Judge Jill Karofsky.

A proposed amendment to the state constitution pertaining to crime victims’ rights was also on the ballot. The proposal, named Marsy’s Law, would add more rights for crime victims. While supporters say victims deserve to have constitutional protections, opponents say increasing victims’ rights could violate the constitutional rights of the accused. Opponents say individuals accused of crimes need constitutional protection against abuse of power by the state, while victims’ protections against their perpetrators can be ensured in state laws.

In the state’s largest city, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is running for another term against state Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee.

Vote Occurred Despite COVID-19 Outbreak, Court Rulings

A worker hands out disinfectant wipes and pens as voters line up outside Riverside High School for Wisconsin's primary election — A worker hands out disinfectant wipes and pens as voters line up outside Riverside High School for Wisconsin’s primary election Tuesday April 7, 2020, in Milwaukee. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. *Morry Gash/AP Photo*

Last Tuesday, many voters and poll workers alike had to contend with long lines, changes in poll locations and new rules and procedures given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Many polling places adopted safety measures to conform to social distancing practices to stem the spread of the outbreak.

At the same time, holding the election at all was the subject of a last-minute, back-and-forth legal fight between Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Last Monday, Evers attempted to push back the election until June with an emergency order, but the Legislature’s Republican leaders appealed to the state Supreme Court, which ruled 4-2 to strike down the order in a matter of hours. GOP state lawmakers said delaying the election would leave vacancies in important local offices across Wisconsin.

According to the state Elections Commission, 1,287,827 people requested absentee mail-in ballots. Of those, 1,003,422 had been returned to clerks as of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. The data also shows a gap of 12,710 ballots between what was requested by voters and what clerks mailed out.

Turnout in Wisconsin’s last presidential primary in 2016 was about 2.1 million voters.

Editor’s note: This story will be updated.