Senator and former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders campaigned for Vice President Joe Biden at the University of Wisconsin in a virtual rally Saturday afternoon, three days before Election Day.
Congressman Mark Pocan introduced Sanders and encouraged everyone who had not yet voted to vote.
“Let me put it real simple — our hard-work for the next four days will make sure we don’t have four more years of Donald Trump,” Pocan said. “If you think about it that way, we can do anything between now and 8 p.m. on Tuesday.”
UW students step up as poll workers amidst Election Day challenges
Sanders said in the 2016 election, President Donald Trump won Wisconsin by roughly 30,000 votes, in part due to low voter turnouts. Sanders said it is “imperative” that the U.S. elect Biden because of Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, his environmental policy stance and his moves to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.
Sanders said this year is one of the “most important elections in modern history” for the United States.
“It’s not just about Biden versus Trump,” Sanders said. “It’s about retaining American Democracy. You might think I’m overstating that. I’m not.”
Sanders encouraged those who have already voted or have a set voting plan for Election Day to reach out to friends, family and other acquaintances to make sure they have a plan to vote.
Wisconsin COVID-19 cases continue to rise amid calls for enforcement of mask policy
Wisconsin is a battleground state, Sanders said, so a win for Biden here would be crucial to his campaign.
“I know sometimes it’s uncomfortable badgering your friends to come out and vote,” Sanders said. “You’re going to feel a little bit more uncomfortable if Trump wins Wisconsin by a handful of votes.”