By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
November 15, 2020

Complete results for the Presidential Election on November 3, 2020 are shown below. In races that were opposed, comparisons are given with the state, county, and/or district results. Some highlights:

• City Clerk Michele Smith had anticipated that this year’s turnout would exceed that of the 2008 Obama/McCain election. This year’s turnout, however, was only 5066, compared with 7884 in 2008.
• The percentage of absentee voting doubled compared with 2008. It may be assumed that a primary reason for this dramatic increase was related to COVID-19.
• Election day registrations fell dramatically, from 3086 in 2008 to 1231 this year.
• Turnout at both the Armory and the Williams Center polling places fell substantially compared with 2008. It is believed that one factor is that this year many UW-W students voted absentee from their home address. Will Hinz, Whitewater Student Government Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, told the Banner that the marketing campaign that was conducted by the Warhawks Vote Committee encouraged students to vote by mail. Mr. Hinz indicated, “I really do believe that the majority of the students did vote, and I really believe that it was voting from home by absentee.” However, since the districts that vote at the Armory are predominantly populated by long-term residents, it seems clear that participation fell among those residents as well.
• As has been the case in all recent elections in the city, support for Democratic candidates leaned stronger than in the statewide vote, and particularly higher compared with that in Jefferson and Walworth counties.
• Banner note: Appreciation should be expressed to City Clerk Michele Smith, Deputy Clerk Andrea Jacobs, and the many poll workers from city staff and other citizens for their conscientious work in administering this challenging election. University staff also did a great job in providing for infection control measures at the Kachel Fieldhouse.
• Banner note: Thanks to Tom Ganser for the photos at the bottom of this post.

TOTAL BALLOTS CAST – 2020

	Armory	Williams Center	Total	%	WI %
Absentees	2544	221	2765	54.6	Approx 57.9
Election day	1622	679	2301	45.4
Total	4166	900	5066
Election day registrations	666	565	1231

TOTAL BALLOTS CAST – 2008 – Largest election turnout in Whitewater history

	Armory	University Center	Total	%
Absentees	1916	170	2086	26.5
Election day	4336	1462	5798	73.5
Total	6252	1632	7884
Election day registrations	2285	801	3086

ELECTION RESULTS – 2020

PRESIDENT	Armory	Williams Center	Total	%	WI %	Jeff Co %	Walw Co %
*Biden (D)	2459	548	3007	59.65	49.6	41.25	39.56
Trump (R – Inc)	1607	329	1936	38.41	48.9	56.39	58.76
Jorgensen (Libertarian)	69	14	83	1.65	1.2	1.3	1.1
Carroll (Solidarity)	7	3	10	.20	.20	.1	.1
Blankenship (Constitution)	5	0	5	.10	.20	.1	.2

CONGRESS – DISTRICT 5	Armory	Williams Center	Total	%	Dist 5 total %
Palzewicz (D)	2345	506	2851	58.35	39.9
*Fitzgerald (R)	1702	333	2035	41.65	60.1

ASSEMBLY – DISTRICT 43	Armory	Williams Center			Dist 43 total %
*Vruwink (D – Inc.)	2367	536	2903	60.0	55.3
Drew (R)	1642	295	1937	39.2	44.7

WALWORTH COUNTY – Unopposed	Armory	Williams Center	Total
*Wiedenfeld (R – District Attorney – Inc.)	2225	471	2696
*Bushey (R – Clerk – Inc.)	2309	473	2782
*Etzel (R – Inc.)	2276	470	2746

WALWORTH COUNTY – Reg. of Deeds	Armory	Williams Center	Total	%	County total %
*Jacobs (R)	1460	228	1688	42.9	61.6
Virrueta (D – Inc.)	1858	385	2243	57.1	38.4

JEFFERSON COUNTY – Unopposed	Armory	Williams Center	Total
*Hall (D – District Attorney – Inc.)	425	138	563
*Jensen (R – Treasurer – Inc.	376	126	502
*Hoffman (R – Reg. of Deeds – Inc.)	376	127	503
*McGraw (R – Clerk – Inc.)	377	129	506

JEFFERSON CO. – REFERENDUM Nonpartisan Redistricting	Armory	Williams Center	Total	%	County Total %
*Yes	337	78	415	64.0	50.9
No	166	67	233	36.0	36.5

Key:
* Candidate elected
D = Democrat
R= Republican
Inc. = Incumbent