(Wis.) Early voting high for spring election

[Ellipsis]

The heated state Supreme Court and Milwaukee County executive races appear to have drawn the interest of voters casting ballots before election day.

"Generally, we don't see this kind of activity in a spring election," said Susan Edman, executive director of Milwaukee's Election Commission. Edman said she wasn't surprised by the heavier traffic. "In light of what's going on? Not really."


<snip>

Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl said early absentee voting was "unusually high" for an April election and that the pace exceeds that of last fall's governor's race. Madison officials have ordered more absentee ballots.

She expects as many early absentee ballots in Madison as in the 2008 presidential primary between Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/118962669.html


Plus Jesse Jackson will be marching in Milwaukee Saturday to encourage early voting.

[Ellipsis]

1. Outside factors could affect Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race

First, of course, is the firestorm Gov. Walker touched off over collective bargaining rights. It galvanized labor and the left, the constituencies most likely to oppose a conservative such as Prosser. It raised the profile of the court race as the first important election since the bitter budget debate began. And it raised the stakes of the race. It created a situation where the court could decide the future of the labor fight and the labor fight could decide the future makeup of the court.

Second is the convergence of the court race with down-ballot races.

Walker’s election as governor last fall vacated his post as Milwaukee County executive before the end of his four-year term. That meant that the race between Prosser and JoAnne Kloppenburg would coincide with a new election for Milwaukee County executive. In an unrelated twist, it would also coincide with a new election for Dane County executive, thanks to incumbent Kathleen Falk’s decision last fall to retire in the middle of her four-year term.

The result: The two biggest and most important Democratic counties in the state likely will be turning out in larger than normal numbers for the Supreme Court contest because of two local elections that normally would never occur together and would not have occurred this April under the regular political calendar.

more...

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/118847759.html?page=1




.

[deacon]

2. K + R

[Ellipsis]

3. .