Election live updates: Trump wins Wisconsin
WUWM is here to keep you updated on voting and election results in Wisconsin — from the race for president to the makeup of the state Legislature.
Key results from Wisconsin:
Former President Donald Trump wins the swing state of Wisconsin, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin defeated Republican challenger Eric Hovde.
Wisconsin voters also approved a constitutional amendment referendum that changes Wisconsin’s constitution from allowing “every” U.S. citizen to vote, to “only” U.S. citizens.
And, Republicans maintained their control of the state Legislature despite new maps.
Quick links:
> Wisconsin election results
> U.S. presidential results
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Democrat Jodi Habush Sinykin wins competitive state Senate District 8
Unofficial results show Democrat Jodi Habush Sinykin winning in the competitive Senate District 8 against Republican Duey Stroebel.
Habush Sinykin had 50.8% of the vote compared to Stroebel’s 49.3%.
The district encompasses north shore suburbs of Milwaukee, along with Menomonee Falls and Germantown.
It is one of the most competitive state Senate races under new legislative maps.
Democrats winning this seat gives the party a clearer path to majority in the next election in 2026.
Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Baldwin wins reelection
Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin won a third term, delivering a victory for Democrats in the swing state that President-elect Donald Trump carried on Tuesday.
Baldwin defeated Republican challenger Eric Hovde, a bank owner and real estate investor endorsed by Trump. Hovde has not conceded the race, which was within the 1-percentage point margin that would allow for him to seek a recount, based on unofficial results.
“The voters have spoken and our campaign has won,” Baldwin said after The Associated Press called the race.
Baldwin declares victory over Hovde
Democratic Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin is declaring victory in her race against Republican challenger Eric Hovde.
The race was too close to call overnight, although Hovde held a lead for hours. Then Baldwin pulled ahead after Milwaukee's ballots were added to the tally.
The Associated Press has not yet projected a winner.
Baldwin has served in the U.S. Senate since 2013.
Hovde is the CEO of his family’s business Hovde Properties and Sunwest Bank and has put millions of dollars of his own money into the race.
Republican Bob Donovan wins competitive Assembly District 61
Unofficial election results show Republican Rep. Bob Donovan winning in state Assembly District 61, which covers much of the Greenfield and Greendale area.
Donovan was running for reelection to the Assembly after serving his first term. He was drawn into a competitive district under new legislative maps.
Republican Jessie Rodriguez wins competitive Assembly District 21
According to unofficial results, Republican Rep. Jessie Rodriguez will be the next representative for state Assembly District 21 which covers the Oak Creek and South Milwaukee area.
Rep. Rodriguez was running for reelection after being drawn into the newly competitive district under new legislative maps. Assembly District 21 is one of the few swing districts in the Milwaukee area.
Republicans retain control of Wisconsin Legislature despite new maps
Republicans emerged from Tuesday's elections still in complete control of the Wisconsin Legislature, overcoming new district boundaries that Democrats had hoped would give them a chance at finally making major inroads in both chambers.
As of early Wednesday morning, the GOP had held six of 10 Republican Senate districts up this cycle, ensuring themselves of at least an 18-seat majority. Democrats managed to flip one district, ending the GOP's 22-seat supermajority and preventing Republicans from overriding any vetoes from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
Democrats had better luck in the Assembly, flipping a handful of districts, but it wasn't enough. As of early Wednesday morning Republicans had still amassed at least 50 seats, guaranteeing them control.
Donald Trump wins Wisconsin
Former President Donald Trump won the key state of Wisconsin on Wednesday, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in a critical battleground. The win delivers 10 Electoral College votes to Trump.
He narrowly won Wisconsin in 2016, becoming the first Republican since Ronald Reagan to capture the state. He lost it in 2020 to Democrat Joe Biden.
Both Harris and Trump made Wisconsin a central focus of their campaigns.
In 2020, Trump attempted to overturn his loss in the state through lawsuits and recounts, but failed.
Wisconsin Elections Commission comments on Milwaukee tabulation issue and potential threats
In a teleconference Tuesday evening, Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe said that “today’s election was diligently administered by Wisconsin’s local election officials.”
Official results are not yet in. Wisconsin has the most decentralized election administration system in the country — with each of its 1,850 cities, towns, and villages in charge of administering elections for their communities.
There is a delay in the city of Milwaukee’s ballot count since Milwaukee election officials announced they would retabulate about 30,000 absentee ballots after discovering doors on tabulator machines weren’t properly secured. The Milwaukee Election Commission said it is confident in the integrity of the absentee ballot tabulation process but decided to retabulate to be fully transparent. Wolfe said she was confident in their decision.
“Milwaukee made the decision to make sure this was addressed today on Election Day in the public eye so that no one could use a procedural misstep to call those legitimate votes into question later,” Wolfe said.
Wolfe also addressed bomb threats Madison polling locations received that appeared to originate from Russian e-mail domains, reiterating that “none of them have been determined to be credible.”
Where things stand in Wisconsin
Wisconsin is one of the key swing states that could determine the outcome of the election. Former President Donald Trump has a slight lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in Wisconsin but results are still being counted in some key places including the City of Milwaukee.
WisPolitics editor JR Ross says he’s got his eye on Waukesha and Dane Counties. Ross says for years Waukesha was the heartbeat of the GOP.
“But it's symbolic to the erosion of the Republican brand under Donald Trump,” Ross explains. “In my years covering politics, close to 25 years now, I've only seen one Republican candidate win statewide below 60% and that was Donald Trump in 2016 with 59.99% in Waukesha County, and right now he's below that number."
Ross calls Dane County Democrat’s blue machine and some Madison wards are still being counted.
"Harris is at 73.3% [as of 9:35 p.m.], that’s a little soft compared to where Joe Biden was. But again, City of Madison's still out. Some of the rural areas of Dane counties, and the towns are definitely doing better for Trump than they were four years ago,” Ross says.
Judge grants order extending voting hours in Whitewater
Polling places in Whitewater were open until 10:30 p.m. after a Walworth County judge granted an injunction to extend hours there.
The request to extend voting hours in Whitewater came from the Democratic National Committee.
Posts on X show long lines to vote at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who is up for reelection, posted on X encouraging UW-Whitewater voters to take advantage of the extended voting hours.
Voters approve Milwaukee-area school referendums
Unofficial election results show Wauwatosa voters approved two school referendums: a $64.4 million operating referendum for ongoing costs and a $60 million capital referendum for building projects, mainly at elementary schools.
The West Allis-West Milwaukee School District referendums were also approved: a $5.8 million operating referendum to pay for teacher and staff compensation and a $70 million referendum for facility improvements.
In Oak Creek-Franklin, voters agreed to a $34.3 million tax referendum to build two new pools.
You can see other Milwaukee County school referendum results here.
Citizenship constitutional amendment passes in Wisconsin
Wisconsin voters approved a constitutional amendment referendum, according to AP analysis of preliminary election results.
The amendment changes Wisconsin’s constitution from allowing “every” U.S. citizen to vote, to “only” U.S. citizens.
Republican authors of the proposal say this change is necessary as a preventative measure, because some states have allowed non-citizens to vote in local elections. Opponents of the amendment say that it stigmatizes immigrants and feeds into misinformation that noncitizens are voting in high numbers.
Seven other states had similar questions on the ballot.
‘All in this together’: Hovde supporters discuss U.S. Senate race
Wisconsin’s U.S Senate race pits Democratic incumbent Tammy Baldwin against Republican Eric Hovde.
In Madison, at The Edgewater Hotel’s grand ballroom, guests are gathering for Hovde's election night party. Red, white and blue balloons decorate the venue’s entrance. A large American flag hangs on one wall.
Supporter Adriana Mateus says it’s Hovde’s desire to make a difference that earned her vote.
“The way that we're going, that we're headed in, in this country is not in a good direction,” Mateus says. “I think, like many of us, he's concerned about the future, the future for everyone.”
Mateus says no matter the outcome, she hopes people can move forward and work together. “Regardless of what happens both here in Wisconsin and throughout the country, we can remember that we're all in this together and that we're going to have to be neighbors and families and friends tomorrow.”
Attendee Greg Thomspon says Hovde’s strongest case in the election is that he’s “not actually a politician.”
“He is a businessman and he understands the economic policy and he understands the border issue,” says Thompson. “I just think that a good business person is going to make good decisions for the government.”
Sen. Tammy Baldwin supporters gather at Madison theater hoping for a win
Just steps from the Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin, the Orpheum Theater's ornate doors opened to guests at 8 p.m. There's a lot of chatter and eyes glued to a large screen tuned to MSNBC election coverage. This is where Tammy Baldwin supporters hope to celebrate the Democratic Wisconsin U.S. Senator's reelection to a third term.
It's been a contentious and sometimes bitter race against Republican real estate developer and bank owner Eric Hovde, but Baldwin supporter Carrie Kelly is feeling confident. A mother of two, Kelly took her 18-year-old daughter to vote for the firsts time earlier today. Kelly says the experience drove home the importance of ensuring her kids healthy future.
Wisconsin is considered a key state to holding onto the Democrats slim margin of seats over Republicans in the U.S. Senate.
Young voters could have a big influence in Wisconsin
In the 2020 presidential election, young people in Wisconsin had the highest turnout rate in the nation. Young voters tend to lean Democratic.
Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg is the Newhouse Director of CIRCLE, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, at Tufts University. CIRCLE found that Wisconsin ranks second highest in the country where young voters can influence the results of the election. Here's why:
- Wisconsin elections have been so close
- Youth voter turnout has been historically high
- Last minute voting is easier for voters here than in other states
“Young people today really are paying attention to what can impact their everyday life based on what kind of decisions are made and types of policies that can pass at the state level,” Kawashima-Ginsberg says.
Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson visits Milwaukee central count
Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson visited the Baird Center, where Milwaukee’s central count operation is happening.
Johnson’s appearance came after Milwaukee election officials announced they would retabulate about 30,000 absentee ballots because doors on tabulator machines weren’t properly secured. The Milwaukee Election Commission said it is confident in the integrity of the absentee ballot tabulation process, but decided to retabulate to be fully transparent.
VoteBeat reporter Alexander Shur reports, Johnson called the situation a “mess.”
Long line in Oak Creek
As polls closed at Discover Church in Oak Creek, around 180 people were still in line to cast their votes. Poll workers estimate the last person in line will need to wait about an hour.
Chief inspector Carrie Haselow said that lines have been this long since about 3 p.m. She noted that there were more voters at this location than usual.
"We had a significant amount of new voters today," she said.
Milwaukee County Clerk says wait until wee hours for Milwaukee results
Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson told press and observers at the Milwaukee County Courthouse that he expects voting numbers from Milwaukee to come in between 2 and 4 a.m.
Milwaukee election officials decided to retabulate about 30,000 absentee ballots after finding that doors on tabulation machines weren’t fully secured.
Results from the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County suburbs are delivered the courthouse once they are counted.
Gender & the presidential race
If elected, Kamala Harris would be the first female president of the United States. Although Harris has not made that a central point in her campaign — gender has been a large issue in the presidential race.
Paru Shah, a political science professor at the Center for American Women and Politics, expects the gender gap to be similar to previous election years — estimating a 9-to-10-point difference between men and women voters.
“What's really different this year, obviously, is that we have a candidate running for president who is a woman, and although she has not necessarily spent a lot of time talking about gender, her gender has been the topic of lots of other conversations,” Shah says.
Shah added that this is the first presidential election since Roe vs. Wade was overturned, which could also influence the gender gap in voting.
Shah spent the day as a poll worker in Milwaukee and reported a steady stream of voters, including many first-time voters, but no long lines.
The polls in Wisconsin are closed
The polls in Wisconsin are now closed. If you were in line to vote by 8 p.m., stay in line — you will be allowed to cast your ballot.
It may take a while before we know the results of key races. In Wisconsin, absentee ballots can’t be tallied until the polls open on Election Day, which means those results could take a while to be counted. And, the presidential race and many other races are expected to be close.
No, voting machines are not connected to the internet
Voting machines are not connected to the internet in Wisconsin. Every machine is tested ahead of the election by feeding an expected set of results into the machine. Election workers ensure there are no votes in the machine ahead of Election Day. This testing process is open to the public.
Ballots are entered into the machine and stay there as people vote on Election Day. Tabulation doesn't occur until after the polls close.
“When you close down the machine at the end of the night, that's when it tabulates," says Hales Corners, Wisconsin municipal clerk Sandy Kulik. “It takes a little bit and it'll print out your entire results tape.”
After an election, the total number of votes is checked against the results from the tabulator machines. This canvassing happens at the county and state level, and for some elections, at the local level as well. That means the results are checked for accuracy multiple times.
In Milwaukee, about 30,000 absentee ballots are being retabulated after officials discovered an issue with tabulator machine doors not being fully secured.
'Uninstructed' voter opts for third party candidate
It’s a painful day for Halah Ahmad, who spent a few hours tabling at UW-Milwaukee today for Listen To Wisconsin. That’s the organization behind this spring’s “uninstructed” campaign. Nearly 50,000 people voted 'uninstructed' during Wisconsin's April presidential primary election.
Ahmad casting her vote for the Green Party’s Jill Stein instead of Vice President Kamala Harris over the handling of the war in Gaza.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about it and I just can’t get myself to vote for Vice President Harris,” she says. “I’m a Palestinian-American, and I feel physically ill if I try to fill in that bubble."
Ahmad feels that neither a Harris nor a Donald Trump presidency would do enough to end the suffering in Gaza.
Regardless of who wins, Ahmad says that Listen To Wisconsin will continue to call for a ceasefire and arms embargo on Israel beyond the election.
Reminder: Polls close at 8 p.m.
The polls close in Wisconsin at 8 p.m. If you’re in line to vote by 8 p.m., stay in line — you will be allowed to cast your ballot.
If you forgot to bring your ID and you cast a provisional ballot, you can bring your ID to the polling place by 8 p.m.
Election Protection Coalition using poll monitoring & hotline to support voters
Poll workers aim to ensure the voting process is as seamless as possible as voters cast their ballots today. Several organizations are aiding in this effort by offering help if voters have questions or need to report problems at the polls.
Election Protection is a coalition of more than 300 local, statewide and national partners. The nonpartisan, nonprofit effort works to make sure every vote counts through poll monitoring, where local partners observe the voting process to make sure there’s transparency and accountability.
Chynna Baldwin, the Election Protection field & ampaigns manager at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, says the bulk of the calls are general inquiries, but can also include reporting problems with polling place operations or intimidation. The resolution of complaints is dependent on the type of issue and whether the issue is an individual instance or systemic.
If you experience any problems at the polls you can contact the Election Protection hotline at 866-687-8683 or visit 866ourvote.org.
Expect a delay in Milwaukee’s election results
Wisconsin Elections Commission Chair Ann Jacobs shared shortly before 5 p.m. that an issue was discovered with the tabulator machines at Milwaukee's central count. That’s where the city's absentee ballots are being counted.
Because of state law, that counting couldn’t start until Election Day — 7 a.m. this morning.
“The tabulator machines have doors that are supposed to be locked and sealed before tabulation. Sadly, that did not occur this morning. Both political parties agree that nothing was wrong with the Tabulation so far. However, in the interest of transparency and so that people can have confidence in the tabulation, the decision was made to re-tabulate the ballots run through so far,” Jacobs shared on X.
She added that about 34,000 ballots will be retabulated and that this is the right thing to do, although it will delay learning the voting results for the city of Milwaukee.
Your ballot goes into the voting machine... and then what?
North Division voters emphasize importance of voting
Mom and son duo David Sykes and Fannie voted for Kamala Harris at North Division High School today.
Important issues for them include the economy, education and women’s rights.
“The reason why I vote is because people — our ancestors died to give us the right to vote,” said David. “I think this is an important election cycle so I decided to come out and vote.”
"Please come out and vote,” Fannie urged others. “I mean your vote really counts. It really matters in the scheme of things.”
New voting maps have made some state races more competitive
Earlier this year, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ordered new legislative maps to be drawn. The gerrymandered maps had heavily favored Republicans. With the new maps in place, the balance of power in the Legislature could change.
John Johnson, a research fellow at Marquette University’s Lubar Center, has been analyzing the most competitive races in the state. He says Republicans will lose their supermajority in the state Senate.
“There are four competitive seats among the 16 that we’re voting for, and Republicans are defending all four of those. They'll likely lose three, and then the fourth one is going to be really close,” Johnson says. “That's the 8th District ... in the northern Milwaukee suburbs.”
In the 8th Senate District Republican Sen. Duey Stroebel is running against Democrat Jodi Habush Sinykin.
“There is a chance that Democrats could win a majority [in the state Assembly.] The forecast I've seen puts it at 30 – 32% ... but the Democrats will definitely win a lot more seats,” Johnson says.
Two of the competitive Milwaukee-area seats are Assembly District 21 in the Oak Creek area, with Republican Rep. Jessie Rodriguez facing Democrat David Marstellar Jr., and Assembly District 61 in the Greenfield area, with Republican Rep. Bob Donovan facing Democrat LuAnn Bird.
South Division voter worried about international conflict
Monique Kidd showed up to vote at South Division High School in Milwaukee feeling that this year’s presidential election is a pivotal one. Although she feels there is a lot at stake, the war in Gaza and other foreign conflicts are what worry her the most.
“I think if we put that energy into communities or education, things like that, war wouldn’t be as much of an issue as it is right now,” Kidd says. “My vote isn’t just for the welfare of this country, it’s for the future of my children.”
Although she isn’t confident in either candidates’ ability to resolve intentional conflict, she voted for Kamala Harris because she believes with her at the helm, there is more opportunity for change.
First-time voters in Brookfield express excitement and nerves
At the Brookfield Safety Building today, Jamie Toscano (left) and Sydney Anchor, both 18, said they were excited about being able to vote for the first time. Both voted for Kamala Harris.
“Growing up [voting] was like such a big thing and it’s like finally we get a say in it, and it’s pretty cool,” said Anchor.
They said the top issues important to them in this election include women’s rights and rights for minorities.
“I’m kind of scared but I’m excited to see how it’s gonna turn out,” said Toscano. “I feel like this is a very scary and important election compared to others in the past.”
"I’m really nervous about how it’s gonna go,” said Anchor. “I have a good feeling though.”
Voters at Ralph H. Metcalfe school in Milwaukee say they’ve been encouraged to vote
At the Metcalfe School polling place in Milwaukee’s Metcalfe Park neighborhood, Kanisha Mckinney, 38, said her coworkers convinced her to vote this year. She skipped voting in 2020 but voted for Kamala Harris today.
“I was skeptical about voting this time but they told me I had to,” Mckinney said. She was there with her stepfather and her 9-year-old son Edward.
Kechonye Johnson, 25, said her family and friends convinced her to vote for the first time. Johnson voted for Harris. “We need somebody that’s for us, for the world,” she said.
Shanetasia Lucas, 22, was casting her first vote for president. “I want to see a change for once. I want a female to be president for once. It’s been all men, so why not have a female?”
Fashon Christian also voted for Harris. He said he wanted to help make history and elect the first woman president. He said he’d like Harris “to bring taxes down and help the middle class.”
Mom and daughter voting at North Division High School are ready for a woman president
Yvonne Robinson and Latasha Triplett showed up to North Division High School in Milwaukee this morning eager to vote for Kamala Harris. They say they do everything together, and that includes voting.
“I think it’s better for a woman to be seated and see what she brings to the table. All of the time it’s a man in office,” Triplett says. We don’t see change in half of the things they said they were going to do.”
The mother-daughter duo says the issues that are most important to them this year are affordable housing and disability rights. They hope their votes lead to a better future for the entire country.
Scenes from the polls
Voters in Greenfield, Wis. voice support for both presidential candidates
How the Greenfield Community Center looks like this morning, where voters voice support for both presidential candidates—some favoring Harris for reproductive freedom and opposition to Trump, while others backed Trump, citing concerns about the border and inflation.
Where Harris and Trump will spend election night
Where will the presidential candidates be as the results start to come in?
Harris will be in D.C. at her alma mater, Howard University, a person familiar with her plans confirmed to NPR ahead of the official announcement.
Harris has said the historically Black college has had a big impact on her identity and her desire to become a lawyer, as NPR's Deepa Shivaram has reported:
Howard is where Harris first ran a campaign, as a freshman class representative, and where she pledged her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. When Harris launched her presidential campaign in 2019, she made the announcement formally from Howard. She also camped out at Howard for debate prep in August.
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign says he will host a watch party at a convention center in West Palm Beach, Fla. — about 5 miles away from his Mar-a-Lago residence.
Copyright 2024 NPR
Senate Republicans will choose first new leader in nearly 20 years
The only thing close to certain about the next Senate Republican leader is they will likely be named John.
The top two candidates vying to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as Senate leader are Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota.
Sen. Rick Scott, who is seeking reelection in Florida, is also running, but he is seen as more of a spoiler candidate who could help determine the winner of the secret ballot election. Leadership elections will take place after senators return to Washington in mid-November.
Little differentiates the two leading men in substance or style: Genteel and well-liked, both are seen as substantive policy players and savvy political operators. Thune, as the current second-highest-ranking Republican, is perceived to have a narrow edge, but this has been a fairly polite race that suggests most senators would be content with either man as leader.
The more contentious issue on the table is whether Senate Republicans will vote to put more constraints on leadership tenures to prevent the type of extended reign McConnell enjoyed for the better part of the past two decades.
To no surprise, McConnell is vehemently opposed to it and advising senators to reject the proposal, but it’s gaining steam among new senators like Scott. In a nod to the growing force of the anti-establishment wing of the party, Cornyn embraced term limits earlier this year. Thune has neither endorsed nor rejected the idea, but has promised to empower more senators.
So far, Donald Trump has stayed out of the leadership race, but his support — or opposition — could also throw a wrench into who ultimately gets elected.
https://www.wuwm.com/2024-11-05/senate-republicans-will-choose-first-new-leader-in-nearly-20-years
Copyright 2024 NPR
Wisconsin isn’t the only state with a citizenship question on the ballot
Voters are seeing a citizenship constitutional amendment question on their ballot. The question asks whether the Wisconsin constitution should be changed from allowing "every" U.S. citizen to vote, to "only" U.S. citizens Wisconsin is one of eight states with a similar referendum supported by Republicans.
It’s already true that only citizens can vote in Wisconsin. But the Republican authors of the proposal say this change is necessary as a preventative measure, because some states have allowed non-U.S. citizens to vote in local elections. Opponents of the amendment say that it stigmatizes immigrants and feeds into misinformation that noncitizens are voting in high numbers.
Souls to the Polls is offering free rides to the polls all day
Souls to the Polls is providing voters with free round-trip rides to their polling place through their Free Rides to the Polls program. This year, they will have over 50 volunteer drivers working on Election Day, and they are expanding their coverage to serve voters in Racine and Kenosha, in addition to Milwaukee.
According to Souls to the Polls, during early voting, they saw an increase of about 400% in the number of completed rides for this year’s presidential election compared to 2020.
Souls to the Polls consultant Kiana Stockwell says, “I think it's a testament to how important people view this election and how much people want to support getting out communities that would otherwise be disenfranchised by not having access to the ballot because of whatever transportation barrier that they might run into.”
To schedule a free ride to your polling place, you can call Souls to the Polls’ hotline number at 414-742-1060.
Why it is important to vote
Where has my absentee ballot been?
If you voted early in person or by mail in Wisconsin, those ballots have all been stored by your clerk or your Election Commission office in a secure vault.
In the City of Milwaukee, absentee ballots are under 24-hour video surveillance.
Now that Election Day is here, they're being processed at a central count location. In the City of Milwaukee, Central Count is at the Baird Center, located at 400 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Each ballot is verified and counted by a team of two election workers.
Former Milwaukee Election Commissioner Claire Woodall says the machines count your ballot just the same way as if you were at your polling place on Election Day. “One question I used to get was does my absentee vote count, even if it's not close. And your absentee vote always counts, it gets counted in Wisconsin every election. There's no holding on to it, just in case. The race is close. So it's just as safe and secure.”
Drop boxes in Milwaukee
If you requested an absentee ballot, you can return it via drop box in Milwaukee until 6 p.m. Or, you can take it to Milwaukee's Central Count Processing Center, located in the Baird Center at 400 W. Wisconsin Ave., until 8 p.m.
🔗 List of Milwaukee drop box locations
If you live outside of Milwaukee, check with your local clerk's office about where to return your absentee ballot on Election Day. Clerks accept absentee ballots until the polls close at 8 p.m.
According to the former Milwaukee Election Commissioner Claire Woodall, a team of two election workers from the Election Commission or the clerk's office will retrieve ballots from drop boxes. She adds that they have a very strict chain of custody.
Collecting absentee ballots from Milwaukee drop boxes:
- Almost always under 24-hour security surveillance.
- Every time ballots are picked up, the box is examined, photos are taken and the number of ballots are counted.
- The ballots are placed into a bag and then secured using a serial number and then verified by a third party.
- Once they get back to the secure absentee location, they are opened and then sorted and prepared.
“So it's a very secure process, if you're going to return it by drop box," Woodall says. "I often say it's more secure than by the mail, but the mail is certainly convenient, especially if you're not local.”
What’s allowed at the polls
Q: What if I get to the voting booth and have questions about what’s on my ballot? Can I look up information on my phone while I’m voting?
A: Yes. You are allowed to silently look up information (like WUWM's Voter Guide) on your phone while you are voting. You can also do research ahead of time, and bring in a pre-filled sample ballot, or a note reminding you how you plan to vote.
Q: Can I ask poll workers about what’s on my ballot?
A: Poll workers can assist you in figuring out which ward you live in or registering you to vote. They can also assist voters with disabilities in filling out their ballots.
Poll workers cannot give you guidance on how to vote or explain what the questions on your ballot mean.
Q: Can I talk about how I’m voting at the polling place?
A: No. Talking about how you plan to vote, or advocating for a candidate or position, is considered electioneering. “Electioneering” means any activity which is intended to influence voting, and it is prohibited by Wisconsin law at polling places.
Claire Woodall, former Milwaukee Election Commission director, says even wearing hats, buttons or T-shirts that advocate for a candidate is discouraged at the polls.
Q: Can I take a selfie with my ballot or take a picture of my ballot?
A: No, so you shouldn't take a picture of your ballot, especially not your voted ballot. Wait until you get your “I voted” sticker and then take a selfie. You can also take a selfie in the polling place, if your ballot is not in the picture.
The polls are now open
The polls are now open in Wisconsin. And, will stay that way until 8 p.m.
Visit myvote.wi.gov to find your polling place.
You can register to vote today at your polling location.
Bring your ID: Acceptable IDs include a Wisconsin state ID or driver's license, a U.S. passport, or a student voter ID from your college or university.
Wisconsin could play a pivotal role in the presidential election
Wisconsin is one of seven swing states that could determine the presidential election between Republican Former President Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
Democrat Joe Biden won Wisconsin in 2020 by less than a percentage point. In 2016, Trump had a similarly close victory.
Polls show that this election is likely to be very close as well.
Wisconsin’s importance in the presidential race was highlighted with the Republican National Convention taking place in Milwaukee earlier this year.
Both the Trump and Harris campaigns have been chasing Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes, with frequent stops here in the home stretch of the campaign.
🎧 Want to learn more about Wisconsin's role as a swing state? Listen to WUWM's "Swing State of the Union" podcast.
Here’s what’s on the ballot in Wisconsin
Election Day is here! Today, Wisconsinites will vote for U.S. president, U.S. Senate, U.S. Congress, state Senate and Assembly along with some local offices, including district attorney in many jurisdictions.
The state legislative races are the first under new maps that are more favorable to Democrats That means the power balance in the state Legislature, which has been gerrymandered in favor of Republicans for more than a decade, could change.
There is also a constitutional amendment referendum on the ballot, asking whether Wisconsin’s constitution should be changed from “every” U.S. citizen may vote to “only” U.S. citizens may vote.
And some school districts have tax referendums on the ballot, such as Wauwatosa, West Allis-West Milwaukee and Oak Creek-Franklin.
You can look up exactly what is on your ballot here.
