Notes from WI: Election News Blogs and Links Thread

[sjdnb]

For you political news junkies, tidbits from today's regional coverage I've been following below. I'd also appreciate it if other folks (esp. Wisconsinites) would contribute news from the sites around the state that they've been following.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4662337&mesg_id=4662337">Links to WI Election news sources

WI State Journal

Complaints prompt quick intervention
5:20 p.m. State officials stepped in after poll workers at two Dane County polling locations incorrectly asked voters to show their driver's licenses before allowing them to register. ... In Wisconsin, voters registering at the polls must give their driver's license number if they have one but do not have to produce the actual license. If they don't have a license, they can use a state-issued identification card or the last four digits of their Social Security Number.

Madison's most undecided corner
5:00 p.m. Perhaps the intersection at West Johnson Street and North Park Street is still undecided. Because this morning, at around 9 a.m., supporters of Barack Obama stood at the spot with signs saying "Badgers for Barack." But by around 5 p.m., they were replaced by supporters of Hillary Rodham Clinton, holding signs touting their candidate.

Shhh... don't tell my partner, but I voted for Barack
4:30 p.m., (Middleton Wards 1-4, 9, St. Bernard's Catholic Church, 7450 University Ave.) Before Mike Ferguson and Victoria Yracheta would share who they voted for, they insisted on being out of earshot of one another. And although the longtime partners came to the polls together, they won't divulge to each other the name they actually marked on their ballots. "We don't want to sway each other's votes," Ferguson said, adding sheepishly that their votes probably cancel each other out half the time. But they were happy to tell a reporter their preference. Don't tell, but they both voted for Barack Obama.

More here http://www.madison.com/wsj/topstories/273109


JS Online - Milwaukee

City polling sites ask for more ballots
5:30 PM
Several polling sites in the city of Milwaukee have asked for more ballots as voting appears heavier than expected in some spots, Sue Edman, executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, said this afternoon.

Turning out for a vote that matters
2:34 PM
Marshfield -- Whoever they voted for - Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama among the Democrats, John McCain and Mike Huckabee among the Republicans - there was a feeling by many in this region today that this election truly mattered, that Wisconsin was poised to play a role in the making of a president.

More here http://blogs.jsonline.com/allpoliticswatch/


Kenosha News

From Kenosha News staff: Voter turn out has been stronger than expected, as the county clerk has had to print more ballots for some Kenosha County municipalities.


Green Bay Press Gazette

At the polls: It's been steady, and now it'll get busy

Almost 900 ballots had been cast at the Green Bay Community Church, 600 Cardinal Lane, one of three polling locations in Howard by about 4:30 p.m.

Poll workers said turnout may double or triple the number of ballots cast in November of 2006 when large numbers turned out for the midterm congressional elections and a local school referendum because of a combination of the presidential primary and a primary for the village president of Howard.

More here http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=GPGnews


Appleton Post-Crescent

Tom Still column: State's open primary was temporarily closed
Let's say you've never been a Democrat but you think Barack Obama is a prophet of change. Or you're an apolitical soccer mom who feels moved to vote for Hilary Clinton, just because it's time. Or you're a political independent who noticed that some cultural conservatives can't stand Republican John McCain, which is reason enough for you to vote for him.

Welcome to Wisconsin's "open" primary. It's one of the few presidential contests in which voters are actually encouraged to color outside the partisan lines. (snip)

Wisconsin's open primary almost lost its special status, however, when the Democratic National Committee decided after the 1972 presidential election that it no longer wanted those pesky independent and crossover Republican voters polluting their primary.

More (election coverage from Appleton) here
http://www.postcrescent.com/includes/newspaper/assets/Elections2008/mainlanding.shtml


WKBT La Crosse

Wisconsin Heads To The Polls
After a busy week of campaigning it's now up to the voters of Wisconsin to decide who they'd like to see win the nominations for the Republican and Democratic parties.

Voting booths throughout La Crosse remained steady with voters today. La Crosse City Clerk Teri Lehrke initially expected a 50% turn out and then ordered even more ballots when primaries in other states were recieving higher turnouts than usual.

The numbers today haven't been as high as expected, but will likely be higher than in previous years.

More here http://www.wkbt.com/Global/category.asp?C=121062&nav=menu239_2_11


Capital Times Election Blog Madison

Middleton turnout lower than expected
The city of Middleton has two polling places, with roughly an equal number of residents eligible to vote in each: St. Bernard's Parish Center and the high school.

When I voted at 3 p.m. at the school, I was No. 1,759. The polling place was not all that busy, but a poll worker said it had been fairly steady.

Lots of new voters downtown
By 10 a.m. at the Doyle Administration Building on 545 W. Dayton St (Ward 44), 312 people had voted. Carol Weidel, chief inspector at the site, said it serves two big populations: downtown condo dwellers and students who live in Ogg and Smith Halls. More new voters and those with a change of address were showing up than previously registered voters, Weidel said. "It's been very busy right from the beginning."

More here http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/vote/273225


Northland News (Duluth/Superior)

Effect Of Youth Vote On Wisconsin Primary
9:44 AM CST
Young people came out in droves two weeks ago for the Minnesota caucuses.

Now with Wisconsin's primary Tuesday, Trevor Roy asks, can candidates and supporters count on that youth support again?

More here http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/explorepolitics


WSAW Wausau

NEW INFO: High Voter Turnout Reported in Wausau for Primary Election
5:33 PM Feb 19, 2008
As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, approximately 30 percent of eligible voters have cast their ballots in the city of Wausau, according to the city clerk.

That amounts to about 6400 ballots, including 1100 absentee ballots.

One and a-half million voters are expected to flock to primary polling places in Wisconsin.

That would be about 35 percent of eligible voters and the strongest turnout in 20 years.

More here http://www.wsaw.com/politics

[Yael]

1. More reports of polling stations running out of ballots and having to print/get more

Why aren't election officials paying attention? This is state number, what, 35?

[elocs]

2. Well my city (La Crosse) as shown above in the OP has plenty of ballots.

It's better to have them and not need them than it is to need them and not have them. A simple concept in elections that seems to go over the heads of so many officials.

[goddess40]

3. Wausau has a problem with spoilage

because people try to vote for a democrat and a republican and the machine spits their ballot back out. Which means the underpaid overworked poll worker has to explain to the idiot that they can only vote for one party and fill out forms so the fool can try again. Before these new machines if you voted wrong your vote didn't count, now you get to try again.

I'm going to try to find out what the actual number is when this is all over. In my city the only thing to vote for is president nominee (with one ward having to narrow its city council members)