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The Badger Herald

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The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

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Wisconsin holds primary election as scheduled, amid public concerns over COVID-19

Extension for absentee voting ruled down, election results not expected before next Monday
Wisconsin+holds+primary+election+as+scheduled%2C+amid+public+concerns+over+COVID-19
Molly DeVore

Wisconsin held its primary election as scheduled on Tuesday, amid public health concerns over COVID-19 and Gov. Tony Evers’ stay at home order, according to AP news.

The election occurred after the Wisconsin Supreme Court turned down Evers’ executive order issued Monday to postpone the election until June. The state Supreme Court said the governor did not have the authority to single-handedly reschedule the election, according to AP News.

Evers said at a press conference earlier Monday it would be the last try to postpone the election.

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“There’s not a Plan B. There’s not a Plan C,” Evers said, according to Politico.

Supreme Court rules for Wisconsin primary to proceed as scheduled

Another decision from the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s ruling to grant a six-day extension for absentee voting, according to AP. 

Without an extension, absentee ballots need to be either hand-delivered by Tuesday evening or postmarked by Tuesday. According to AP News, absentee votes sent through the mail could arrive at the clerks’ offices as late as next Monday.

Voters across the state had to wait in long lines while practicing social distancing to cast their ballots. The National Guard stuffed the polling stations after hundreds of poll workers stepped down due to health concerns over coronavirus, according to AP News.

US Supreme Court rules against effort to extend absentee voting

Many voters also said their requested absentee ballots had never reached them, according to the New York Times. State Rep. Gordon Hintz said it could be due to a glitch in the system.

“It appears that people who requested their ballots between March the 20th and 24th, or maybe the 25th, have not received their ballots,” Mr. Hintz said, according to the New York Times.

Official data from the state showed 1,282,762 ballots had been requested, with 1,273,374 being sent out, and by Tuesday morning, voters had returned 864,750 ballots, according to the Wisconsin Election Commission. 

 Wisconsin is the only state that held its election as planned in April. Other states who had their elections scheduled this month have pushed them back, according to AP.

Multiple members of Dane County care facility test positive for COVID-19

There are 84 pledged delegates at stake in the Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary. Fifty-five will be assigned at the district level and 29 at the state level, according to National Public Radio.

Fifty-two pledged delegates are at stake in the Republican presidential primary and President Trump is expected to win all, according to NPR.

Election results are not expected before next Monday, April. 13, in compliance with a court ruling. 

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