Wisconsin Could Face Many Issues for April 7th Election
Friday, March 20th, 2020 -- 11:27 AM
(AP) -Wisconsin could face a litany of problems if it holds its spring election amid the coronavirus crisis, including a possible disruption in mail service interfering with absentee voting, a lack of polling sites and the risk of exposing elderly poll workers and voters to the disease, the state’s chief elections officer said Wednesday.The election is scheduled for April 7. It features the state’s presidential primary, a state Supreme Court race, a referendum on a state constitutional amendment that would establish rights for crime victims and various local elections. Social distancing mandates have raised questions about whether Wisconsin should postpone its election, as Georgia, Louisiana and Ohio have done. Three states went ahead with their primaries on Tuesday, and some problems popped up, including in Chicago, where officials had to scramble to replace about 50 area polling sites that decided to cancel at the last minute.
But Gov. Tony Evers has insisted the election go on as scheduled, noting that postponing it could leave countless local offices vacant. He has encouraged people to vote by absentee ballot. His fellow Democrats filed a federal lawsuit late Wednesday to demanding a judge relax deadlines and other requirements for absentee voting to make the process easier. Still, pressure mounted during the day to push the election off.
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