MILWAUKEE – While the November general election is still just under three months away, several of those races will become a bit more clear after Tuesday’s primary races across Wisconsin.
Ballots across the state will feature a combination of statewide referenda, U.S. senate and congressional elections, and races for county elected offices such as the Milwaukee County District Attorney or Milwaukee County Treasurer, for example. What will appear on your ballot Tuesday will depend on where you live. In some cases, due to redistricting new names may appear on your ballot for the first time.
Across Wisconsin, the primary for one of Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate seats and the two referenda questions will appear on every ballot. Incumbent Tammy Baldwin is facing a challenge for her Senate seat from Republicans Eric Hovde, Charles E. Barman, and Rejani Raveendran.
Meanwhile, the two referenda concern how federal money is spent in the state, and who controls where and how those funds are dolled out. The questions read as follows:
- QUESTION 1: “Delegation of appropriation power. Shall section 35 (1) of article IV of the constitution be created to provide that the legislature may not delegate its sole power to determine how moneys shall be appropriated?”
- QUESTION 2: “Allocation of federal moneys. Shall section 35 (2) of article IV of the constitution be created to prohibit the governor from allocating any federal moneys the governor accepts on behalf of the state without the approval of the legislature by joint resolution or as provided by legislative rule?”
The referenda questions are expected to be split along party lines, with Democrats arguing against the prospect of the GOP-led Joint Finance Committee dictating what happens to federal dollars, while Republicans hope to add a check to the powers of Governor Tony Evers. The two questions are binding referenda, meaning what voters decide Tuesday will be implemented once the results are tallied.
As for the other Wisconsin congressional races, they include the following (political affiliation is marked in parenthesis):
1st Congressional District (comprises southeast Wisconsin)
- Bryan Steil (R, incumbent)
- Peter Barca (D)
- Chester Todd Jr. (Green)
2nd Congressional District (south-central Wisconsin)
- Mark Pocan (D, incumbent)
- Erik Olsen (R)
- Charity Barry (R)
3rd Congressional District (western Wisconsin)
- Derrick Van Orden (R, incumbent)
- Rebecca Cooke (D)
- Katrina Shankland (D)
- Eric Wilson (D)
4th Congressional District (primarily City of Milwaukee)
- Gwen Moore (D, incumbent)
- Purnima Nath (R)
- Tim Rogers (R)
5th Congressional District (western Milwaukee suburbs)
- Scott Fitzgerald (R, incumbent)
- Ben Steinhoff (D)
6th Congressional District (central Wisconsin)
- Glenn Grothman (R, incumbent)
- John Zarbano (D)
7th Congressional District (northern Wisconsin)
- Tom Tiffany (R, incumbent)
- Elsa Rae Duranceau (D)
- Kyle Kilbourn (D)
8th Congressional District (northeastern Wisconsin; seat formerly held by Mike Gallagher)
- Andre Jacque (R)
- Roger Roth (R)
- Tony Wied (R)
- Kristin Lyerly (D)
The race to replace District 4 state senator Lena Taylor, who is now a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge, pits Democratic former state assemblywoman Dora Drake against current Democratic assemblywoman LaKeshia Myers.
State Assembly races of note include:
District 8 (eastern portions of Milwaukee’s south side)
- Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D, incumbent)
- Enrique Murgia(D)
District 9 (western portions of Milwaukee’s south side; seat formerly held by Marisabel Cabrera)
- Deisy Espana (D)
- Priscilla Prado (D)
- Ryan Antczak (R)
District 11 (Milwaukee’s north side, some northern suburbs; replacing Dora Drake)
- Sequanna Taylor (D)
- Amilia Heredia (D)
District 19 (Milwaukee’s east side and South Shore neighborhoods)
- Ryan Clancy (D, incumbent)
- Jarrod Anderson(D)
District 61 (southwest Milwaukee suburbs Greendale, Greenfield, and Hales Corners)
- Bob Donovan (R, incumbent)
- MartinTontoeGomez(R)
- Lu Ann Bird (D)
An important note: since the Tuesday primaries are partisan primaries, you may only vote within one political party.
For a complete list of what will be on your ballot when you head to the polls, click here.
While early voting and the window for absentee ballot requests has primarily wrapped up across Wisconsin, those who are military members away from home or those who have been hospitalized in the seven days preceding the election (between August 6th and August 13th) may request an absentee ballot up until 5:00pm Tuesday. The deadline to return absentee ballots to your municipal clerk is Tuesday at 8:00pm.
Additionally, voters may return absentee ballots at drop box locations after the state Supreme Court re-allowed their use earlier this summer. Check with your local municipal clerk to see if a drop box is available near you.
When it comes to registration, Wisconsin allows voters to same-day register at their polling place on Election Day. Voters casting their ballots at a new polling place registering day-of will need to bring a valid photo ID and proof of residency that shows your current address such as a lease, utility bill or bank statement.
If you’re at least 18 and don’t currently have a valid Wisconsin Driver License or ID, you can check with the Wisconsin Elections Commission to see what forms of ID are acceptable at the polls. Things like Military ID, Passport, or unexpired photo ID issued by a Wisconsin accredited university or college are acceptable.
If you do need an ID, you can visit the DMV’s website to start the process. You will need proof of identity and residency that shows your current address as well. Also, remember the ID you can get can be obtained for free from the DMV if it’s being used for voting purposes.
Polls open across Wisconsin at 7:00am Tuesday and will stay open until 8:00pm. Any voter waiting in line when the 8:00pm deadline strikes will be allowed to cast their ballot.
WTMJ will have a complete rundown of election results on-air and online the day after the election.
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