As the recall primary election approaches, poll workers are learning about concealed carry rules. Local officials are allowed to ban hidden weapons at Wisconsin polling places. Jeri Bonavia, executive director at Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort (WAVE), supports such a ban. “The last thing we want in our state is to go back to a time of bullets, not ballots … we really want to make sure that everyone feels like they can make their voice heard without any kind of intimidation.”

Government Accountability Board attorney Mike Haas says the fairly new concealed carry law allows communities to ban concealed firearms at the polls – regardless of whether they’re located in government buildings or privately-owned facilities. But, he says, signs must be posted at every entrance.

Bonavia’s group is dedicated to reducing gun violence, injuries and deaths. She says, with emotions running so high in the state, now is no time to bring guns to the voting booths. “It’s just not wise to have firearms in polling places.”

Local clerks had been questioning the concealed carry law, so Haas prepared a memo for the GAB. The Board will take up the matter when it meets today (Tuesday). The recall general election is June 5.

Republican leaders expect one of the highest turnouts ever at the state GOP Convention, due to the historic recalls, November’s presidential election, and a vacant U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin (as a result of the retiring Herb Kohl, Democrat).

Party Chair Brad Courtney says getting out the vote for the recall general election is their main emphasis. “Our main focus is June 5th … our governor has been recalled and it’s all hands on deck. So we’re gonna focus toward getting him reelected.”

Courtney says this will be Governor Scott Walker’s convention. Walker will address the crowd on Saturday morning in Green Bay. Congressman Paul Ryan will be the keynote speaker that evening. The lieutenant governor and four state senators being recalled will also get attention at the event.

Courtney says Republicans are fired up. “Our message will be to our activists. We have to work very hard these last 25 days … this is the most critical election of their lifetime; they have to get out there and go support the governor.”

Courtney says delegates will hear from all five congressmen and U.S. Senator Ron Johnson. They’ll also vote to endorse a candidate in the U.S. Senate race — they’ll choose from Tommy Thompson, Eric Hovde, Mark Neumann, and Jeff Fitzgerald.

Courtney explains Republicans have a tremendous infrastructure in place, with 23 victory centers around the state. He says they already made over 2 million voter contacts. They’ll also discuss the presidential election at the event; it will be a priority after June 5th.

The Democratic state party convention is June 8th and 9th in Appleton.

AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report 1:50

The first independent poll numbers for the governor’s recall election on June 5 are out. Rasmussen Reports gives embattled Republican Governor Scott Walker a five-point lead over his Democratic challenger, Tom Barrett. Fifty percent of 500 likely voters said they’d support Walker. Barrett got 45 percent. Two percent said they’d vote for somebody else, and another two percent were undecided.

Rasmussen’s poll was taken yesterday, after Walker and Barrett won their respective party primaries on Tuesday. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.5 percent.