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Polling place procedures meant to assure safe social distancing

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Meagan Wolfe

At polling places around the state Tuesday, the focus will be on safe social distancing, in order to keep voters and poll workers as safe as possible from coronavirus. Meagan Wolfe is Administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

“You’ll see social distancing built into every step of the process, from waiting outside to enter, to standing in line, and then again at the photo ID and poll book table and the registration table..” Wolfe said “So please do listen to the direction of your poll workers, as they’ll advise you exactly how social distancing will apply to their facility.”

Voters will be asked to sanitize their hands before and after beginning the process, and to maintain a six foot distance between themselves and poll workers.

“Each polling place needs to determine how many people can safely accomplish social distancing while occupying that facility,” said Wolfe. “And so if they determine that 20 people can be in the facility at once, in terms of poll workers, voters and observers, then they’re going to need to enforce those limits to ensure that social distancing can occur.”

Procedures will include safely checking photo IDs. “What this allows is for the voter when instructed to step up to the poll book table, set down their photo ID, while the poll worker steps away while the person’s at the table. Then the voter’s going to be asked to step six feet away from the table, while the poll worker comes up and looks at the ID. They will not be handling it, but they will be looking at the ID as it sets on the table.”

A similar process will be used for signing the poll book, with voters allowed to keep the pen they use.

State Supreme Court rules Evers may not postpone election

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Wisconsin’s spring election will proceed as scheduled on Tuesday, despite public health concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.

Hours after Governor Tony Evers issued an executive order on Monday, rescheduling the election to June 9, the Wisconsin Supreme Court overruled  him on a 4-2 vote.

Liberal Justices Ann Walsh Bradley and Rebecca Dallet voted no. Conservative Justice Daniel Kelly, who is on the ballot tomorrow, did not participate. Kelly said on his Twitter account that the election should go forward.

Conservative Justices Patience Roggensack, Annette Ziegler, Rebecca Bradley and Brian Hagedorn ruled against Evers

 

Evers issues executive order to delay election-GOP will appeal to state Supreme Court

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This report has been updatedy

Democratic Governor Tony Evers on Monday moved to halt Wisconsin’s spring election scheduled for Tuesday, amid public health concerns from the coronavirus pandemic.

Evers said he’s taking a stand for the people of the state. “They’re sitting there saying ‘I’m scared, I’m scared of going to the polls. I’m afraid for my future.’ At the end of the day, somebody’s got to stand up for those folks.”

Evers issued an executive order pushing the election to June 9th. Republican legislative leaders said they’d appeal to the state Supreme Court.

“This is it. There’s not a plan B, there’s not a plan C. We’re moving ahead with this. We believe the Supreme Court will support us in this.”

His order also calls lawmakers back into session this week to decide whether the election should be held at a different date.


In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Evers said voters “don’t care about the fighting between Democrats and Republicans – they’re scared. I’m standing up for those people who are afraid and that’s why I’m doing this.”

Republican legislative leaders who want to keep polls open adjourned both chambers on Monday without acting on a special session to delay the election as called by Evers on Friday.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) released the following statement.


“We are immediately challenging this executive order in the Wisconsin State Supreme Court.

“The clerks of this state should stand ready to proceed with the election. The governor’s executive order is clearly an unconstitutional overreach.

“This is another last-minute flip-flop from the governor on the April 7th election. The governor himself has repeatedly acknowledged he can’t move the election. Just last week a federal judge said he did not have the power to cancel the election and Governor Evers doesn’t either. Governor Evers can’t unilaterally run the state.”

 

No action on special session to delay Wisconsin’s April 7 election

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No action was taken on Saturday, in a special session of the Wisconsin legislature called by Governor Tony Evers. The Democratic governor on Friday asked lawmakers to convene in Madison for the purpose of delaying the spring election scheduled for Tuesday, April 7.

With just a handful of members present in either chamber, the Senate and Assembly both gaveled-in and gaveled-out. Republican leaders, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, said in a joint statement issued on Friday that in-person balloting should proceed as scheduled on Tuesday.

Evers, who said he may consider other means to delay the election, through a court order or additional executive action, issued a statement on Saturday, “Republicans in the Legislature are playing politics with public safety and ignoring the urgency of this public health crisis. It’s wrong.”

Evers had cited concerns about spreading COVID-19 during in-person voting, and a critical shortage of poll workers, in seeking to postpone the election until May 19 and requiring that voting be by mail-in ballots only.

 

Feds grant Wisconsin Major Disaster Declaration for COVID-19

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The state of Wisconsin has been granted a Major Disaster Declaration from the federal government.

The disaster declaration, announced Saturday by Governor Tony Evers, allows lets all 72 counties and 11 federally recognized tribes access to Public Assistance programs from the federal government. The declaration comes from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, who will reimburse the state for emergency protective measures.

It also authorizes direct Federal Assistance, so when the State and local governments cannot perform or to contract for eligible emergency work, the State may request that the work be accomplished by a federal agency.

The major disaster declaration covers assistance to public entities and will cover eligible projects submitted by counties, cities, townships, tribes, and certain private, not-for-profit organizations. Local governments in the declared counties are now eligible for federal assistance and should contact county emergency management directors for further information.

Under the program, FEMA provides 75 percent of eligible costs, while the remaining 25 percent is the responsibility of state and local agencies.

Evers calls for special session to delay spring election and require all mail-in voting

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Governor Tony Evers (WRN image)

Following an order this week from a federal judge that extended the time available to turn in absentee ballots, Governor Tony Evers wants lawmakers to put some more time on the clock for Wisconsin’s spring election. Republican leaders said the election should go ahead as planned, as Evers had been calling for.

Evers on Friday called for a special session of the Wisconsin legislature on Saturday, to vote on a plan to postpone Tuesday’s election and make it mail-in balloting only, with local clerks short thousands of poll workers, and municipalities reducing the number of polling places due to coronavirus,

“And that’s exactly why I called the session for tomorrow. I believe we can get to a place that works for all of Wisconsin. But clearly if the number of polling places is down, that’s going to make it much more difficult for social distancing.”

Speaker Robin Vos (WRN image)

He’s looking for the legislature to cancel in-person voting, send everyone a ballot by May 19th, and to push the deadline to get ballots in to May 26th.

“The virus sets a timetable, not me, not Robin Vos and not Scott Fitzgerald. So the time is now. We have a plan that I believe can work, and we’re looking forward to a solution.”

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald responded in a joint statement: “We continue to support what Governor Evers has supported for weeks: the election should continue as planned on Tuesday.”

Evers said he’s been calling for several of these measures since last week, and had hoped the Legislature would come in and handle it without being called into a special session. 

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (WRN image)

The governor’s request to the legislature came just hours after a federal judge clarified his order regarding absentee balloting for Wisconsin’s spring election.

U.S. District Judge William Conley on Friday ordered that there be no reporting by elections officials, of any results from next Tuesday’s election until extended absentee balloting is complete the following Monday, April 13.

Conley granted a request from the Wisconsin Elections Commission following his order of Thursday for extended absentee voting. More than 1 million people have requested absentee ballots.

The election ballot includes the Democratic presidential primary, a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and hundreds of local elected offices.

U.S. District Judge extends absentee voting by 6 days

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A federal judge has ordered that Wisconsin voters be given an extra six days beyond Tuesday’s election, to submit absentee ballots.

U.S. District Judge William Conley said earlier this week he would not postpone the election despite his misgivings about public health from COVID-19 concerns.

The deadline for voters to get absentee ballots to clerks had been 8 p.m. on Election Day. Conley’s order issued Thursday extends that to 4 p.m. the following Monday, April 13, and lifts the witness signature requirement for absentee ballots. He said voters may state in writing that they could not safely get that due to coronavirus fears.

Conley’s order also extends the deadline to request absentee ballots to 5 p.m. today, Friday April 3.

A lawyer for the Republican National Committee and the Wisconsin Republican Party, Patrick Strawbridge, filed a notice of appeal soon after Conley issued his opinion. The Republican legislature filed an appeal Thursday, too.

Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee to be rescheduled for August

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The 2020 Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee has been rescheduled to mid-August, due to concerns over the developing COVID-19 pandemic.

The event, originally scheduled for July 13-17, will instead be held the week of August 17. The convention was expected to draw upwards of 50,000 people to the Milwaukee metro area, with the convention itself to be held at Fiserv Forum. The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) made the announcement in a Thursday press release:

“In our current climate of uncertainty, we believe the smartest approach is to take additional time to monitor how this situation unfolds so we can best position our party for a safe and successful convention. During this critical time, when the scope and scale of the pandemic and its impact remain unknown, we will continue to monitor the situation and follow the advice of health care professionals and emergency responders,” said Joe Solmonese, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee. “I have always believed that American innovation and ingenuity shine brightest during our darkest days, and for that reason, I’m confident our convention planning team and our partners will find a way to deliver a convention in Milwaukee this summer that places our Democratic nominee on the path to victory in November.”

History will be made in Milwaukee when the 2020 Democratic National Convention takes place, not just because Democrats will nominate the next president and vice president of the United States, but because they’ll be doing it in a state that’s never before hosted a political party’s national convention. The Democratic Party believes that this important battleground state is the perfect place to share their vision for a safer, stronger country and lift up the voices of the working families that the party fights for every day.

“The city of Milwaukee welcomed our convention team with open arms over a year ago when our convention planning first kicked off. We remain inspired by the people who live and work here, and we remain committed to hosting this historic moment in their hometown,” Solmonese added. 

Ensuring the safety of the convention’s host community and all convention-goers has been—and always will remain—the top priority of the Democratic National Convention Committee. As convention planners continue to monitor the unpredictable and unprecedented public health emergency, they remain in constant communication with the local, state, and federal officials responsible for protecting public health and security, and will continue to follow their guidance.

“Leadership means being able to adapt, and that’s exactly what our party is doing. The city of Milwaukee has been an incredible partner, especially over the past few weeks as we’ve confronted this global crisis, and we couldn’t be more committed to highlighting Wisconsin as a key battleground state, as it is at the center of so many of Trump’s broken promises,” said DNC Chair Tom Perez. “Ultimately, the health and safety of our convention attendees and the people of Milwaukee is our top priority. And we will continue to be in contact with local, state, and federal health officials as we monitor this fluid situation. The Democratic Party is ready to defeat Donald Trump, the American people are ready to elect a Democratic president, and I have absolute confidence that our team is ready to deliver a successful convention for our nominee.”

As part of their contingency planning efforts, the Democratic National Convention Committee has confirmed that Fiserv Forum, the Wisconsin Center District and hotel accommodations in the surrounding area are available in August. The convention planning team will now use the coming weeks to further explore all options to ensure nominating the next president of the United States is done without unnecessary risk to public health. These options include everything from adjusting the convention’s format to crowd size and schedule.

Contingency planning is an important feature of preparations for every convention. The Democratic National Convention Committee is comprised of seasoned convention and event veterans who have been contingency planning for a variety of scenarios from day one. As they continue to monitor the coronavirus health crisis, and the impact it’s having on the country, they will continue to examine all options for the success of the convention that ensure the safety of any participants and the host city. As the convention’s plans are further finalized, more details will be made publicly available. 

On Wednesday, Wednesday Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden who told Jimmy Fallon of the “The Tonight Show,” “I doubt whether the Democratic convention is going to be able to be held in mid-July or early July. I think it’s going to have to move into August.”

Republicans still plan to gather August 24th through the 27th in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Latest MU Poll shows support for state’s COVID-19 response and Biden in Dem primary

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Wisconsin residents seem to have a lot more confidence in the state versus the federal response to COVID-19, according to the latest Marquette Law School Poll.

Poll director Charles Franklin said Wednesday that 76 percent of respondents approve of how Governor Tony Evers is handling the pandemic response, as opposed to just 51 percent of people who approve of President Trump’s handling of it.

“That’s a little bit higher than his overall approval rating which we’ve seen in national data as well, but it’s not as high by any margin as we’re Tony Evers at this point.”

Franklin said more and more Wisconsinites are taking the response seriously as the situation became more clear.

“Paying a lot of attention or very concerned about it’ didn’t even pass 50% until a couple of weeks ago so this is been a fast-developing matter of public opinion and public concern.”

More than half of poll respondents would also like to see the Spring Elections moved, with 51 percent saying the date should be moved and 44 percent saying it should be held as scheduled.

Numbers from the latest poll are also showing a reversal in the Democratic presidential primary. Franklin said Bernie Sanders had a commanding lead going into this month’s poll.

“This month the roles are totally reversed with Biden just over 60% Sanders at about 32%.”

Franklin said that people should still view these numbers with caution, simply because of the massive amount of absentee balloting that’s been going on for the Spring Primary.

Federal judge can’t delay election but rips Evers and legislative leaders for failure to do do

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A federal judge doesn’t believe he has the legal authority to postpone Wisconsin’s April 7 elections. But U.S. District Judge William Conley clearly wishes he could.

During a lengthy video hearing on Wednesday, Conley said that holding the election is “a really a bad public policy idea and they should stop it,” because of the risks associated with COVID-19.

The “they” Conley was referring to: Democratic Governor Tony Evers and Republican leaders in the legislature, who Conley said had abdicated their responsibilities and refused to “step up” during a crisis.

The judge said if anyone contracts COVID-19 while participating next Tuesday, that “will be on the hands of the Legislature and the governor.”

Conley said he’d consider some changes to how the election is conducted, but may not issue a decision until closer to Election Day.

On the ballot are the state’s presidential preference primary, the election for Wisconsin Supreme Court, and hundreds of local elected offices.