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With little pomp or circumstance, Wisconsin held a series of primaries on Tuesday that will decide who gets placed on the ballot in November’s general election.

This round of primaries will also effectively “elect” political officers who were unopposed by any party going into the primaries.

Despite the political implications of the primary, voter turnout was expected to be 15 percent of eligible voters, according to the Associated Press.

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Joe Wineke said the Tuesday primaries were mainly about seats in the state Capitol.

“With the exception of the 1st Congressional District, this is basically a state Assembly and Senate election,” Wineke said. “This is about control of the state Legislature.”

State Democrats have made clear their desire to win back the Assembly in November. The Democrats must pick up three seats to gain a majority in the fall.

Wineke was optimistic about the prospects of a Democratic takeover.

“I think our prospects for taking back the Assembly are very good,” he said. “The Democrats are in a very good position going into November because they reflect the values of most voters.”

Some primaries, including most representatives from the city of Madison, had no contested seats for any position.

Mark Jefferson, executive director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said the low turnout was due to relatively little attention paid to local politics in a time when national politics have taken center stage.

“People’s minds have been on the convention and national politics,” Jefferson said. “It hasn’t captured public attention.”

Jefferson was as confident as Wineke when asked if he believed the Republicans would remain in control of the Assembly.

“We’ve recruited better candidates in the crucial swing seats, and the difference between the parties couldn’t be clearer,” Jefferson said.

He added he believed economic issues would resonate the strongest with voters.

Ann Waidelich, a polling coordinator for the 46th ward, which includes many University of Wisconsin students, said she couldn’t remember any primary with such a low turnout.

“I’ve been doing this for eight or nine years, and it’s as slow as it’s ever been,” Waidelich said.  

She estimated that of the 145 wards in Madison, fewer than 20 had any contested seats.

When the polls closed at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, the 46th ward’s polling station, located on the first floor of Memorial Library, had tallied just 20 votes out of the nearly 3,000 residents in the ward.

Turnout was expected to be much higher in districts such as Verona, where multiple candidates from the same party were running for the same spot on the ballot.

Pam Mather, another poll worker, said low turnout was a function of low public interest during primaries in general.

“Primaries are traditionally low-turnout days,” she said. “It’s harder to come out when there is no contest. The one in November is a no-brainer, but these are harder to get people out to.”