- The 2020 Spring Election and Presidential Preference Vote is still on for Tuesday, April 7.
- Due to a shortage of poll workers, Whitewater will be voting in only one polling place: The “Old” Armory.
- Some 100 clerks around the state indicate that they do not have enough poll workers to staff even one polling place.
- Milwaukee plans to have only 5 polling places, compared with the previous 180.
- Per a ruling by U.S. District Judge William Conley on April 2, absentee ballots may be received until Monday, April 13 at 4 p.m. However, the Republican Party has appealed this extension to the U.S. Supreme Court, so it is possible that absentee ballots received after April 7 might not be counted.
- New: Due to a ruling on Friday evening by the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, absentee voters still need to have someone witness their ballot. That court, however, declined to issue a stay on the extension of the deadline for absentee ballots to be received.
- Clerks may not announce results of the election until April 13.
- Gov. Evers called on the Legislature to meet in Special Session on Saturday, April 4 at 4 p.m. to consider changes to the election. Mr. Evers’ proposal would allow an all-mail election, sending a ballot to every registered voter who has not already requested one by May 19, and extending the time for those ballots to be received to May 26.
- New: It was reported that there was a sparse turnout of legislators for the Special Session; there was no debate on Gov. Evers’ proposal, and the session concluded with no action. The Special Session may convene again on Monday, but it appears unlikely that there will be any action. UPDATED 4/6/20 – The Wisconsin State Journal reports that today “the GOP-led Assembly and Senate have again adjourned the special session until after the election. In less than a minute Monday, the chief clerk of the Assembly convened and adjourned the session until Wednesday. No lawmakers were present for the session. The Senate made a similar move earlier in the day.”
- New: Also on Saturday, an appeal was filed in the U.S. Supreme Court by Republicans, seeking to block the extension for mail-in ballots to be received until April 13. Consequently it is possible that the deadline will still be April 7 when the polls close.
April 7 Election Still Going Forward: Absentees Must Still Be Witnessed; Extension for Mail-In Absentee Ballots Appealed to U.S. Supreme Court (UPDATED 4/6)
Posted on: April 4, 2020
