The Tangled Web of Wisconsin’s 2020 Primary Election [SPLIT/MERGED]

[smokeshadow]

In a 5-4 ruling, the US Supreme Court ruled that Wisconsin could not postpone today's primary election. The state had wanted to postpone because of the difficulties in getting absentee ballots to voters due to the Covid-19 virus. And, many Americans are furious Well, not all Americans, just those who are liberal, progressive or Democrat. Republicans, on the other hand are thrilled as turn-out will be curtailed, which will favor their candidates

‘Politicize My Death’: Americans Furious Supreme Court Forcing Wisconsin Voters to ‘Literally Risk Their Lives to Vote’ (New Civil Rights Movement; April 7, 2020)

 

[rareboy]

Re: Wisconsin Primary election & the US Supreme Court

As I said in 2015...IT WAS ALWAYS ONLY EVER ABOUT THE JUDICIARY......and now all America has the receipts.

The Supreme Court is as corrupt as the rest of the GOP/TrumpCo. cabal.

 

[rareboy]

Wisconsin Gerrymandering and Proposed Voter Purge [SPLIT]

Of course, there is a lot at stake. Possibly the presidency.

Why Wisconsin Republicans Insisted on an Election in a Pandemic (The New York Times; April 7, 2020)

 

[rareboy]

Re: Wisconsin Primary election & the US Supreme Court

 

[opinterph]

Re: Wisconsin Primary election & the US Supreme Court

In a 5-4 ruling, the US Supreme Court ruled that Wisconsin could not postpone today's primary election.

That was not the matter under consideration in the Supreme Court ruling. The Court ruled that the postmark deadline for absentee ballots could not be extended beyond Election Day.

The application for stay presented to Justice Kavanaugh and by him referred to the Court is granted. The District Court’s order granting a preliminary injunction is stayed to the extent it requires the State to count absentee ballots postmarked after April 7, 2020.


… The sole question before the Court is whether absentee ballots now must be mailed and postmarked by election day, Tuesday, April 7, as state law would necessarily require, or instead may be mailed and postmarked after election day, so long as they are received by Monday, April 13. Importantly, in their preliminary injunction motions, the plaintiffs did not ask that the District Court [to] allow ballots mailed and postmarked after election day, April 7, to be counted. That is a critical point in the case. Nonetheless, five days before the scheduled election, the District Court unilaterally ordered that absentee ballots mailed and postmarked after election day, April 7, still be counted so long as they are received by April 13.

---

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE, et al. v. DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE, et al.

on application for stay

---

Justice Ginsburg, with whom Justice Breyer, Justice Sotomayor, and Justice Kagan join, dissenting.

What concerns could justify consequences so grave? The Court’s order first suggests a problem of forfeiture, noting that the plaintiffs’ written preliminary-injunction motions did not ask that ballots postmarked after April 7 be counted. But unheeded by the Court, although initially silent, the plaintiffs specifically requested that remedy at the preliminary-injunction hearing in view of the ever-increasing demand for absentee ballots. See Tr. 102–103 (Apr. 1, 2020).


… The majority of this Court declares that this case presents a “narrow, technical question.” Ante, at 1. That is wrong. The question here is whether tens of thousands of Wisconsin citizens can vote safely in the midst of a pandemic. Under the District Court’s order, they would be able to do so. Even if they receive their absentee ballot in the days immediately following election day, they could return it. With the majority’s stay in place, that will not be possible. Either they will have to brave the polls, endangering their own and others’ safety. Or they will lose their right to vote, through no fault of their own. That is a matter of utmost importance—to the constitutional rights of Wisconsin’s citizens, the integrity of the State’s election process, and in this most extraordinary time, the health of the Nation.

The state had wanted to postpone because of the difficulties in getting absentee ballots to voters due to the Covid-19 virus.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers issued an executive order the day before Election Day to postpone in-person voting until June 9. He also called a special session of the legislature to be held on Election Day for the purpose of discussing the election. Only a few lawmakers were present for the special session and they did not take up the issue.

Wisconsin Supreme Court overturns governor, orders Tuesday elections to proceed (Politico; April 6, 2020)​

 

[opinterph]

Re: Wisconsin Primary election & the US Supreme Court

[IMG]https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/s960x960/92216472_10157804294171210_8668349940226850816_o.jpg?_nc_cat=100&_nc_sid=8024bb&_nc_ohc=7JHsCGXnE5oAX92uFqE&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.xx&_nc_tp=7&oh=12868a8552c32635fe4c211df9cf1359&oe=5EB40ACF[/IMG]

Wisconsin polling places are closing because there's not enough people to work the April 7 election (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; March 31, 2020)

 

[Kyanimal]

Re: Political Implications of the Coronavirus [SPLIT]

I live in Milwaukee. The polling place, at Washington High School, which has been featured on national news, is a block from my house. There were still people lined up around the block after official closing time. They stopped anyone from joining the end of the line, but those who had been waiting did get to vote.

I have never, in all my years, seen anything like it! Some folks had their kids with them. Most stayed in line even through 20 min. of rain. I can't put into words how encouraging all of that was. I wanted to hug All of them! But, well, ...

I had dropped off my absentee ballot (first time ever absentee), at the library, which was closed except for that, a few days before. Didn't want to mail it in, and possibly have it not get there in time.

I would be surprised if a single vote was cast for any republican't here, or in Madison. The rest of the state? Well ... We'll find out sometime next week, I think. There aren't enough volunteers to count it all before that.

 

[Rickrock]

Re: Wisconsin Gerrymandering and Proposed Voter Purge [SPLIT]

This is pretty bad, but I don't know what could be done about it.

 

[Rickrock]

Re: Political Implications of the Coronavirus [SPLIT]

Since it was a primary were there any issues between Democrats and Republicans or was it all intra-party voting?

 

[Dominus]

Re: Wisconsin Primary election & the US Supreme Court

Effing conservatives always trying to support voting.

Voting ought to be made as easily accessible as possible. It is the core of our democracy. I don't understand why all these conservative boneheads would agree with such blatant...

 

[opinterph]

Re: Political Implications of the Coronavirus [SPLIT]

Since it was a primary were there any issues between Democrats and Republicans or was it all intra-party voting?

The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to take place in Milwaukee during the week of August 17, after having been postponed from the week of July 13. According to National Public Radio analyst Don Goneya, the city was chosen to focus on the region and repudiate the Hillary Clinton Campaign’s decision not to emphasize the region in the 2016 election. Trump carried Wisconsin by 0.7 percentage points.

The Democratic primary was open, meaning registered voters did not have to be members of the party to vote in the Primary Election. President Trump was the only name listed for President on the Republican ballot, but voters could choose “Uncommitted [delegate].”

Beyond that, each jurisdiction and each political party within the state held local and other state primary contests, with nearly 6,000 individual names appearing on all ballots statewide.

 

[KaraBulut]

Re: Political Implications of the Coronavirus [SPLIT]

Since it was a primary were there any issues between Democrats and Republicans or was it all intra-party voting?

Wisconsin combines presidential primary with court elections. The court elections are "non-partisan".

This wasn't about the Democratic primary. It was about getting Daniel Kelly (a conservative appointed by Scott Walker) re-elected to the State Supreme Court (the same court that ruled that the election must proceed in spite of the pandemic, although Kelly recused himself from the vote). Kelly's opponent was from Dane County which is the home of UW and a stronghold of Democrats.

If you suppress the vote in Madison and Milwaukee, you're more likely to get your (Republican) guy re-elected.

 

[opinterph]

Re: Political Implications of the Coronavirus [SPLIT]

This wasn't about the Democratic primary. It was about getting Daniel Kelly (a conservative appointed by Scott Walker) re-elected to the State Supreme Court

The reduction of polling places was primarily the result of a lack of poll workers due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The matter of Judge Kelly’s potential reelection is a separate topic from coronavirus:

Wisconsin Gerrymandering and Proposed Voter Purge [SPLIT]​

 

[KaraBulut]

Re: Political Implications of the Coronavirus [SPLIT]

The reduction of polling places was primarily the result of a lack of poll workers due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The matter of Judge Kelly’s potential reelection is a separate topic from coronavirus:

Wisconsin Gerrymandering and Proposed Voter Purge [SPLIT]​

I'm sorry but the Wisconsin House wants to piss on the voters of Wisconsin's leg and tell us. "It's raining". The shortages were not in rural districts or in Madison... but were somehow disproportionately in Milwaukee.

There were a couple thousand National Guard soldiers that were supposed to be filling in that gap. Somehow were only shortages only in the part of the state where all the black people are? Which also happens to be where the COVID-19 cases among minorities is the highest?

How Wisconsin’s election disenfranchised voters [Vox]

The lack of available poll workers on Election Day meant the number of polling places in Milwaukee shrank from 180 to just five for a city of about 592,000, according to Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reporter Molly Beck. In the state capitol of Madison — which has less than half Milwaukee’s population — there were 66 polling places open, Beck pointed out. Madison and other areas also had more locations with drive-through voting.

Wisconsin Primary Recap: Voters Forced to Choose Between Their Health and Their Civic Duty [New York Times]

Republicans, meanwhile, said they knew of few problems outside of Milwaukee, which has long been portrayed by the state’s conservatives as the source of Wisconsin’s problems. There was little sympathy.

“Everybody had a fair opportunity to vote,” said Dennis Gasper, the Republican Party chairman in Sheboygan County. “Nobody’s having a problem voting. I went by a number of our polling places and there’s no lines out in the country.”

Milwaukee is the epicenter of Wisconsin’s coronavirus pandemic, and the black community in Milwaukee is among the most ravaged. As of Tuesday afternoon, Milwaukee county’s coronavirus dashboard showed black Americans made up 626 of the county’s 1,387 confirmed cases, and 36 of its 51 deaths.

 

[rareboy]

Re: Political Implications of the Coronavirus [SPLIT]

^ This.

Lack of volunteers doesn't begin to cut it as an explanation.

 

[Sausy]

Re: Political Implications of the Coronavirus [SPLIT]

I usually respect opinterph's careful considerations, but unfortunately I have to agree with Rareboy and KB here... there is NO defending the blatantly political applications of what happened in Milwaukee.

 

[Kyanimal]

Re: Political Implications of the Coronavirus [SPLIT]

Since it was a primary were there any issues between Democrats and Republicans or was it all intra-party voting?

In an effort to reduce multiple elections, Wisconsin combined the presidential primary with state and local elections. Here in Milwaukee, we also voted for County Supervisor, Mayor, City Comptroller, City Attorney, etc., etc., etc. There were also several state initiatives on the ballot.

I sincerely hope that the republican'ts shameless exhibition of their true intentions will lead to they're ouster in November. I'm not holding my breath, though ...

 

[opinterph]

Re: Political Implications of the Coronavirus [SPLIT]

The [poll worker] shortages were not in rural districts or in Madison... but were somehow disproportionately in Milwaukee.

And who is responsible for managing elections in Milwaukee?

City of Milwaukee Election Commission

Executive Director
Neil V. Albrecht (Democrat)

Deputy Director
Theresa R. Gabriel (Democrat)

Commissioners
Stephanie D. Findley, Chair (Democrat)
Carmen C. Cabrera (Democrat)
Jess Ripp (Republican)

Mayor
Tom Barrett (Democrat)​

There were a couple thousand National Guard soldiers that were supposed to be filling in that gap [in available poll workers]. Somehow were only shortages only in the part of the state where all the black people are? Which also happens to be where the COVID-19 cases among minorities is the highest?

It seems that the City of Milwaukee Election Commission somehow failed to communicate with other entities of consequence about the National Guard soldiers, which could have better informed their decision process. It is also obvious that the governor created widespread confusion by publicly announcing postponement of the election mere hours before it was scheduled to commence, particularly when his action to do so exceeded the scope of his authority.

There were also 30 members of the Wisconsin National Guard at each polling location. Albrecht said they didn't know they would have that many until yesterday (The day before Election Day).

"Had we had that information sooner, I absolutely think it could have influenced the number of voting centers in the City of Milwaukee," said Albrecht.

'It's almost embarrassing:' Milwaukee city leaders pin blame on all sides for election day chaos (WDJT News; April 7, 2020)

March 20
Governor Evers affirmed that the election would be held on April 7.

“We could move it to June and it could be worse in June, it could be worse in May,” said Evers. “I understand that it’s a difficult situation.”​

March 22
City of Milwaukee Election Commission suspended early voting.

Reason: Safety concerns regarding election workers.​

March 29
City of Milwaukee Election Commission announces that it has less than one-third of required election workers. Lack of decision about how to respond blamed on Wisconsin legislature.

Reason: Poll workers concerned about possible exposure to pandemic virus.​

April 2
U.S. District Judge William Conley extended deadline for ballot postmarks to April 13.

Reason: To help avoid the impingement on citizens’ rights to exercise their voting franchise as protected by the United States Constitution and federal statutes.​

OPINION AND ORDER
WILLIAM M. CONLEY
District Judge
the Wisconsin State Legislature and Governor apparently are hoping … that the efforts of the [Wisconsin Election Commission] Administrator, her staff, the municipalities and poll workers, as well as voters willing to ignore the obvious risk to themselves and others of proceeding with in-person voting, will thread the needle to produce a reasonable voter turnout and no increase in the dissemination of COVID-19.

Wisconsin Elections Commission

Marge Bostelmann, Commissioner (Republican)

Julie M. Glancey, Secretary (Democrat)

Ann S. Jacobs, Commissioner (Democrat)

Dean Knudson, Chair (Republican)

Robert F. Spindell, Jr., Commissioner (Democrat)

Mark L. Thomsen, Commissioner (Democrat)​

April 3
City of Milwaukee Election Commission consolidated the city’s 180 voting sites into five voting centers.

Reason: Necessary step to provide in-person voting.​

April 3
Governor Evers calls a special session of the Wisconsin legislature to commence on Saturday to consider changes to the election scheduled for the following Tuesday.

April 4
Wisconsin legislature special session was adjourned without taking any action.

April 6
Governor Evers issues executive order to postpone Wisconsin election until June 9 and calls another special session to convene on Election Day to address the issues presented by the executive order.

April 6
Wisconsin state Supreme Court overruled governor’s executive order to postpone election.

April 6
US Supreme Court overruled US district court order to extend postmark deadline for absentee ballots.

April 7

What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Kyanimal]

Re: Political Implications of the Coronavirus [SPLIT]

I would like to add a few comments (in parens) to opinterph's excellent timeline:

April 3
City of Milwaukee Election Commission consolidated the city’s 180 voting sites into five voting centers.
Reason: Necessary step to provide in-person voting. (With far less than the needed volunteers, available staff was reallocated to the five physically largest, widely distributed, venues, where capacity was expanded beyond usual.)

April 3
Governor Evers calls a special session of the Wisconsin legislature to commence on Saturday to consider changes to the election scheduled for the following Tuesday.

April 4
Wisconsin legislature special session was adjourned without taking any action. (Both houses of WI state legislature are Republican controlled. They were in session for one minute.)

April 6
Governor Evers issues executive order to postpone Wisconsin election until June 9 and calls another special session to convene on Election Day to address the issues presented by the executive order.

April 6
Wisconsin state Supreme Court overruled governor’s executive order to postpone election. (Vote was 4 to 2 along ideological lines. Conservative vs. liberal. One conservative recused because he was on the ballot. WI judges are elected, not appointed.)

April 6
US Supreme Court overruled US district court order to extend postmark deadline for absentee ballots. (Along ideological lines. 5 to 4. Conservative vs. liberal.)

April 7

What could possibly go wrong? (Yeah ... )

 

[Thad1527]

Re: Wisconsin Gerrymandering and Proposed Voter Purge [SPLIT]

I'm in Pennsylvania. Things are just a little different here.

We've had gerrymandering, big-time. I lived in the infamous 7th Congressional District...the one that on the map looked like Goofy kicking Mickey Mouse.

Before the 2018 election, the state Supreme Court threw out those districts. I now live in the 5th District, a compact contiguous district including Delaware County and South Philadelphia. And lo and behold, our first electee from the new district was Mary Gay Scanlon, who Ed Rendell endorsed on TV ads as "She'll be Donald Trump's worst nightmare."

And Pennsylvania has never made it especially easy to vote. We've never had any kind of early voting, and absentee ballots were not easily obtained. I have no idea how to get one. But our primary election has been postponed due to COVID-19 (not that it will make any difference)...and voting by mail is being offered to every voter in the state.