Wisconsin

[GB Warrior]

Democracy was a fun thought experiment.

Scummy behavior to disenfranchise voters on a mass scale... Including those that had requested their absentee ballot on time...

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

It's a bad look by both sides.

Dear Wisconsin:  You're making international news - and not in a good way.

There's nothing worse than I'm going show you your doucheyness by being twice as douchebagy.

[Hards Alumni]

Or the governor doesn't have the right to move an election the day before its scheduled, less than a week after saying the he didnt have the power to do so.

Imagine the outrage if Scott Walker tried to pull a stunt like Evers did. Occupation Part II.

This should have been addressed 3 weeks ago, when stay at home was first announced.  Instead, we get political pissing by both sides in the days prior to an election.

While I agree, it should have happened 3 weeks ago, there would have been plenty of people who would have freaked out and said, "That's three weeks away, this will be over by then!  Let's just see what happens with this lockdown!"

Feel me?

[Lennys Tap]

Let's be honest...it's not that pleasant.

There is, however, a good deal of prairie.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

While I agree, it should have happened 3 weeks ago, there would have been plenty of people who would have freaked out and said, "That's three weeks away, this will be over by then!  Let's just see what happens with this lockdown!"

Feel me?

(NF)  evers trying to do this at the last possible minute is the chaos.  Mark Belling could have howled for 3 weeks, but it would have been the right thing to do.  Waiting made it partisan regardless.

If Evers did this with the stay at home order, it would have been just like Ohio and the other states that moved their primary.

I did early voting 4 weeks ago and our clerk was worried then.  I also knew that this would be a skitshow, so took the steps to vote early. 

I saw something today, based on absentee requests alone, this would be the largest turnout for a spring election in WI history.  (On twitta, so no linky. Might have been a JS reporter but dont quote me. )

*(no feel)

[Hards Alumni]

(NF)  evers trying to do this at the last possible minute is the chaos.  Mark Belling could have howled for 3 weeks, but it would have been the right thing to do.  Waiting made it partisan regardless.

If Evers did this with the stay at home order, it would have been just like Ohio and the other states that moved their primary.

I did early voting 4 weeks ago and our clerk was worried then.  I also knew that this would be a skitshow, so took the steps to vote early. 

I saw something today, based on absentee requests alone, this would be the largest turnout for a spring election in WI history.  (On twitta, so no linky. Might have been a JS reporter but dont quote me. )

*(no feel)

Ha, what a crock.  There are 5 polling places in Milwaukee, and usually there are 180.  But yes, lets have an election.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Ha, what a crock.  There are 5 polling places in Milwaukee, and usually there are 180.  But yes, lets have an election.

Did you not see where i said this should have been decided 3 weeks ago?

[Hards Alumni]

Did you not see where i said this should have been decided 3 weeks ago?

Would have been the same result.

[The Sultan]

I mean, it could have been done the right way this past Saturday but the legislature refused to consider it.

[jficke13]

The idea that it ought to be hard to cancel an election by executive order is, objectively, a good thing.

The idea that the legislature looked at all of the objectively terrible outcomes from a public health and electoral administration perspective and did figured it would be best to force those objectively terrible outcomes to occur is remarkably, unfathomably, stupid.

The government in Wisconsin is broken, darn near irrevocably broken. Just like there ought to be backlash against the figures who whistled this country past the graveyard and into actions that hastened and worsened the spread of the virus in January and February, there ought to be blistering consequences against the people who have weighed their personal political gain against the lives hanging on forcing this vote and opted for political gain.

I won't hold my breath though.

[warriorchick]

The idea that it ought to be hard to cancel an election by executive order is, objectively, a good thing.

The idea that the legislature looked at all of the objectively terrible outcomes from a public health and electoral administration perspective and did figured it would be best to force those objectively terrible outcomes to occur is remarkably, unfathomably, stupid.

The government in Wisconsin is broken, darn near irrevocably broken. Just like there ought to be backlash against the figures who whistled this country past the graveyard and into actions that hastened and worsened the spread of the virus in January and February, there ought to be blistering consequences against the people who have weighed their personal political gain against the lives hanging on forcing this vote and opted for political gain.

I won't hold my breath though.

I would trade the government in Illinois for it any day.  As a matter of fact, I just did.

[Hards Alumni]

I would trade the government in Illinois for it any day.  As a matter of fact, I just did.

I'm not sure you upgraded.  And yes, I am very aware of the state of politics in Illinois.

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

Anyone have any turnout reports or how the election is proceeding in general?

[Hards Alumni]

Anyone have any turnout reports or how the election is proceeding in general?

I assume you've seen the lines in Milwaukee?  They are all over the news and twitter.

[jficke13]

The idea that the legislative and executive branches couldn't figure out how to postpone the election under these circumstances displays that there is a fundamentally broken relationship in Madison. I am VERY sympathetic to the argument that government powers are enumerated and limited and the governor shouldn't be able to reach out and grab rights not granted to the office even under times of crisis. On the other hand, the idea that the legislature forced the governor's hand betrays exactly where their priorities lie.

Spoiler: It has nothing to do with the well-being of Wisconsin citizens.

[GB Warrior]

The idea that it ought to be hard to cancel an election by executive order is, objectively, a good thing.

The idea that the legislature looked at all of the objectively terrible outcomes from a public health and electoral administration perspective and did figured it would be best to force those objectively terrible outcomes to occur is remarkably, unfathomably, stupid.

The government in Wisconsin is broken, darn near irrevocably broken. Just like there ought to be backlash against the figures who whistled this country past the graveyard and into actions that hastened and worsened the spread of the virus in January and February, there ought to be blistering consequences against the people who have weighed their personal political gain against the lives hanging on forcing this vote and opted for political gain.

I won't hold my breath though.

There's no coming back from this.

<BanhammerRant>
They just further institutionalized the concept of who should get to vote and what hurdles they should have to overcome. This sham of an election will further embed a majority on the WI SC, and the gerrymandered nature of this state will only get resolved if removed from politicians' hands. The fact that SCOTUS was content to let the world burn only further reinforces. That duly requested unprocessed absentee ballots - including yours truly weeks ago - will not be allowed to be submitted and counted is egregious and wrong. The fact that duly submitted ballots without a witness signature during a period of time where it was allowed by the courts cannot be revised or recast should be offensive to everyone. 

The hell of it is, the results of this election don't affect my day-to-day life - it's not like my vote is particularly within my self interests. But it matters to a whole hell of a lot of people that will either not get the chance OR will need to risk not only their livelihoods, but their immediate communities. I'm not religious and I wouldn't tell you I have a strong moral compass. But this is just wrong. If you are not offended by all of this... I hope they offer virtual confession services through your place of worship. And let me be clear - this is the first, and likely only, time that a person in my socioeconomic class will feel marginalized in my lifetime; it is only a fraction of what other groups go through on a daily basis.

I am and have been a political pragmatist and generally more moderate, though I've admittedly moved left economically over the years. I've voted for Republicans and Democrats in the decade-plus I've been able to. I'm generally interested in results than political posturing and grandstanding - ultimately the goal is to make people's lives better, right? But it all feels a lot different today than it did waking up yesterday. A lot of people are culpable with how we've gotten to this point on every side of the spectrum, and including us as citizens. We've allowed people to stake out these immoral positions as the ones they'll start negotiating from, so that anything we end up with is just slightly less immoral. And we've let it erode at norms and decency and a belief in any sort of common ground. \

Blow all of it to hell.
</BanhammerRant>

[Coleman]

I would trade the government in Illinois for it any day.  As a matter of fact, I just did.

Disagree. Coronavirus response is exhibit #1.

[Jockey]

I assume you've seen the lines in Milwaukee?  They are all over the news and twitter.

Just one more attempt at blatant voter suppression. Nothing more.

5 polling places in a city of 500,000 people. Why not just re-institute poll taxes to keep Blacks from voting?

[TSmith34, Inc.]

I assume you've seen the lines in Milwaukee?  They are all over the news and twitter.

All according to plan. One of Trump's quote that didn't get the coverage it deserved during the stimulus debate was outright admitting that if they made it easier to vote, Republicans would "never be elected again".  Voter suppression has been an out-in-the-open tactic for some time now.

Trump says Republicans would 'never' be elected again if it was easier to vote
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/30/trump-republican-party-voting-reform-coronavirus

[rocky_warrior]

<BanhammerRant>
</BanhammerRant>

Quite the opposite.  That may have been the least political rant about the broken state of the political system (in WI and nationally) that I've seen here.  I suspect there are MANY that agree with you, even some that argue for one political side or the other.

Anyhow - hope everyone in WI that wants to vote gets a chance...

[Jockey]

In an effort to protect the public, attorneys, court staff, and judges from the health risks associated with COVID-19, the Wisconsin courts have issued orders temporarily suspending in-person proceedings statewide, with certain limited exceptions.

Yes, those are the same Wisconsin courts that just refused to allow Gov. Tony Evers to postpone today's primary election because of the pandemic.

[The Sultan]

In an effort to protect the public, attorneys, court staff, and judges from the health risks associated with COVID-19, the Wisconsin courts have issued orders temporarily suspending in-person proceedings statewide, with certain limited exceptions.

Yes, those are the same Wisconsin courts that just refused to allow Gov. Tony Evers to postpone today's primary election because of the pandemic.

Where do you see this?

Anyway, apparently it is taking three hours for people to get through the voting lines in Green Bay.  Absolutely insane.

[Coleman]

Where do you see this?

Anyway, apparently it is taking three hours for people to get through the voting lines in Green Bay.  Absolutely insane.

2 polling places in all of GB

A travesty

[jficke13]

Where do you see this?

Anyway, apparently it is taking three hours for people to get through the voting lines in Green Bay.  Absolutely insane.

https://wicourts.gov/

There's a link/tab for COVID19 related orders. Every county has one. We're functionally have shut down the court system and I'm not expecting it to reopen until June at the EARLIEST.

Let's just say for those of us who do litigation, it's made things... interesting.

[The Sultan]

Sorry I misread the post. I though he meant a that local courts have shut down voting.