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Get out the vote efforts are active from Milwaukee's Garden Homes neighborhood to Waukesha

Jennifer Knox, of the Working Families Party, pauses for a photo while doing voter turnout work in Milwaukee's Garden Homes neighborhood.
Chuck Quirmbach
Jennifer Knox, of the Working Families Party, pauses for a photo while doing voter turnout work Saturday morning in Milwaukee's Garden Homes neighborhood.

Get-out-the-vote efforts are in full swing ahead of Tuesday's election. Not just by the various campaigns in Wisconsin but also by grass-roots groups and even individuals.

Over the weekend, the Working Families Party was one of the groups spreading out across Milwaukee, urging people to vote early, or on Tuesday, for Democratic Senate candidate Mandela Barnes.

The party's National Director of Organizing, Jennifer Knox, knocked on doors in the Garden Homes neighborhood on the north side.

Homeowner Rosie Abner promised Knox that come Tuesday, she'll try to help the Lt. Gov. Barnes make it to Congress.

"I think he'll bring jobs, education, choice of medicals, and a lot of things that we need right now," Abner said.

Down the street, Bassam Austin promised to vote early. She said she's worried about incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson's push to take an annual look at spending for Social Security.

"My mom's 82, and all the talk about changing Social Security will affect her dramatically. Gotta get out there and vote and keep it going for my mom, you know. I don't expect her to leave Earth anytime soon," Austin said.

Austin said she likes Barnes, who she believes will leave Social Security alone.

Unlike some people who only vote in presidential elections, Austin said she also believes in the importance of midterm contests.

"We gotta stand up and make sure our state is okay, too,'' Austin told WUWM.

After this GOP rally in Waukesha Saturday, attendees were urged to take Republican campaign literature and pass it out before the election.
Chuck Quirmbach
After this GOP rally in Waukesha Saturday, attendees were urged to take Republican campaign literature and pass it out before the election.

Twenty miles west, inside the headquarters of the Waukesha County GOP, after Johnson and Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels finished speaking at a rally, volunteers urged attendees to take campaign literature and hand it out to friends, family and strangers.

One woman prepared to leave with approximately 100 pieces. She gave her name to us as Child of God, and said Johnson and Michels will bring more religion to the U.S.

"I see people that want to bring back a Christian nation, to bring back families, to bring back goodness and decency," Child of God said.

Whatever their motivation, more people will be urging others to vote by 8 o'clock Tuesday night. Officials estimate as many as 2.7 million Wisconsin residents will cast ballots.

Wisconsin's midterm elections are Tuesday, November 8, 2022. If you have a question about voting or the races, submit it below or check out WUWM's voter guide.

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