Wisconsin Presidential Primary, General Election Primer

MILWAUKEE, WI — The public health emergency that is the new coronavirus has had a profound effect on life in Wisconsin. Schools have been closed, as well as non-essential business and some governmental functions. Despite these closures, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers was adamant in keeping the April 7 in-person election day in-place.

Among the most high-profile elections on April 7 are the Democratic Presidential Primary, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. The April 7 election is also chock full of other statewide, county and local elections that will place hundreds of representatives in seats across the state.

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National Guard Called Out For Election Day

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said he's calling out the National Guard to staff polling places across the state after election officials said nearly 60 percent of Wisconsin municipalities have an urgent shortage of poll workers.

Many jurisdictions have "dramatically consolidated polling places," state official said. According to the Wisconsin Election Commission, there are 111 communities that do not have the ability to staff even one polling place on April 7. Wisconsin local election officials say they're about 7,000 poll workers short for election day.

Who Will Win? You'll Have To Wait

The odyssey that is the April 7 election in Wisconsin took another turn after a federal judge ruled that any results from the election won't be reported publicly until extended absentee ballot counting is complete on April 13. Earlier, the same judge ruled that absentee ballots can be received by poll workers as late as 4 p.m. on April 13 to be counted.

That means, when voters go to the polls on April 7, they won't know the results until nearly a week later. Whoever wins the April 7 presidential primary, and whoever wins a myriad of state-level elections and innumerable local ones won't know until April 13 whether they've won or lost.

Presidential Race

Wisconsin as a battleground state in the 2020 election is a fact that has been well-established. President Donald Trump defeated Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin by less than 23,000 votes in 2016. That's a razor-thin 0.7 percentage margin of victory.

Trump appears as the lone candidate on the Republican primary ballot. Things get more complicated on the Democratic side of things.

Voters will see a total of 12 Democratic primary candidates on the ballot, but only two: former Vice President Joe Biden, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders still effectively in the race — and experts say Sanders is losing ground in the Badger State.

“Up until Biden got his mojo going, it was presumed Sanders would win the state again,” said Patrick Guarasci, a Milwaukee-based Democratic strategist in a Politico report, referencing Sanders' 2016 primary victory over Clinton. “He was the most organized here, he had the most vibrant following. A lot has changed in the last month.”

According to the latest Marquette University Law School poll conducted on April 1, Biden held a small lead over Sanders in November through January. Sanders even moved into first place in February.

According to the poll, those results are much different now: poll respondents pegged Biden at 62 percent and Sanders at 34 percent.

Pollsters say that Biden received 65 percent and Sanders 32 percent based on likely or current voters.

With the new coronavirus changing the dynamics of this election, Marquette Poll officials are a little more skeptical than usual about forecasting the April 7 election.

"Given the uncertainty created by historically high levels of absentee voting and the unknown levels of election day turnout, these findings should be viewed with more than the usual caution," officials said.

Wisconsin Supreme Court

Incumbent Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly will face Dane County Circuit Court Judge Jill Karofsky in the April 7 general election to earn a 10-year term to Wisconsin's highest court.

Kelly took in the most votes by far during the February primary — a total of 50 percent of all ballots cast. He is looking to retain his seat after his appointment by former Gov. Scott Walker to fill the remainder of Justice David Prosser's term after his retirement.

Although Kelly came out ahead on in the primary, Journal Sentinel columnist Dan Bice says he might actually be the underdog come April 7. That's because there is expected to be a heavy Democratic turnout as a result of the Presidential primary in Wisconsin, he said.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has seven justices, and conservatives have a 5-2 advantage in the court. That balance gives conservative lawmakers and thinkers alike an advantage over key issues, such as redistricting, Act 10, school choice, gun safety, and many others. A win for Kelly guarantees that the court will continue it's 5-2 conservative lean, while a win for Karofsky likely means that balance shifts to 4-3 in favor of conservative-leaning justices. Justices serve 10-year terms on the court.

Jill Karofsky

Jill Karofsky, in her own words:

We have to root out the appearance of corruption that surrounds our Supreme Court. Wisconsinites have to trust that their judges are going to follow the rule of law and not bend to the whims of their campaign donors. I intend to lead by example, and return honor and dignity to the court.

Unfortunately, the courts have become wildly politicized, to our detriment. We need judges and justices who will uphold the rule of law and treat every litigant fairly and honestly, applying the constitution and statutes to today's world. I will not concern myself with what partisan right-wing special interests and politicians would like the outcome of cases to be.

Daniel Kelly

Daniel Kelly, in his own words:

I think the most important issue in the campaign relates to the proper understanding of the role of the Supreme Court and the justices who serve the people of Wisconsin. As I have said frequently when discussing the Court's role with my fellow Wisconsinites, I believe the job of a justice is to decide cases based on the law, not on what the justices might wish the law to be. We do not make the law, ignore the law, or play favorites with the law. And so we treat all litigants who come to court with respect and fairness as we thoughtfully and carefully decide their cases based only on the law.

Related to that issue is the proper understanding and application of the Constitutions of the United States and of Wisconsin, as well as statutory material. I understand that they must be construed according to their text, giving meaning to each word and phrase as they would have been understood at the time each provision was adopted. Judges should not go out of their way to give an overly narrow application to a provision guaranteeing rights, for instance, nor should they import their view of contemporary values into a legal text.

Wisconsin Is 'Referendum Heavy' On April 7

Wisconsin voters will see 95 questions on ballots issued in the state's 72 counties. The most common question is whether the local school district can ask for more money.

In many counties across Wisconsin, voters will be asked whether they want to support their local school district exceeding state revenue limits for various projects. The largest of these asks comes in Racine County, where voters will consider an approximately $1 billion, 30-year referendum to approve numerous construction projects.

Related Reading

Wisconsin Voters Will See 95 Referendum Questions On April 7

Across Wisconsin, voters will be asked whether to support an edit of the state constitution to expand rights for crime victims. Voters in several counties will be asked whether they want to see the creation of a non-partisan panel to spearhead voter redistricting efforts across the state pertaining to state representatives and senators.

In Spring Green, voters will decide whether they can breed dogs and cats and sell them for medical research. Additionally, voters will decide whether conducting such research in Spring Green amounts to "offending public morals and decency."

Voters in the Town of Clinton will see a referendum on their ballot asking them whether they would like to allow the sale of alcohol beverages in their town.

Voters in several Wisconsin towns will be asked whether they want to "seek to reclaim democracy from the expansion of corporate personhood rights and the corrupting influence of unlimited political contributions and spending."

Here is the full list of ballot questions that will be on the ballot for April 7.

Local Races

If you live in a Patch community, we have you covered for election day. Here are your election-day primers for select Wisconsin Patch towns.

Brookfield

Greendale

Greenfield

Milwaukee

Mount Pleasant

Oak Creek

Shorewood

Waukesha

Wauwatosa

Whitefish Bay

All Images Published With Permission