Absentee ballots cast at record pace ahead of traditional vote
By Ed Nadolski
Editor in Chief
Although many have already cast their votes via absentee ballots or early in-person voting, Tuesday represents the final chance for voters to have their say in the contentious, pandemic-tinged election of 2020.
Polls in all local communities will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. All absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. Tuesday to be counted. Voters should check with their local municipal clerk for information on where to return ballots on Election Day.
Topped by the presidential race pitting incumbent Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden, the ballot also includes several state Assembly races and one Racine County race.
With coronavirus casting a shadow over traditional in-person voting, some area clerks have predicted a record number of absentee ballots – ballots that will have to be counted on Nov. 3 along with those cast by in-person voters.
Polling places on Tuesday will have health safety precautions in place, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission, as they did during the April and August elections conducted during the pandemic.
Readers who are new to the area or have not voted in years should contact the clerk in their municipality or visit myvote.wi.gov to for information on voter registration, polling places and sample ballots.
In the City of Burlington, the city’s two traditional polling places – Cross Lutheran Church and Burlington United Methodist Church – will be consolidated into a single facility at Veterans Terrace, 589 Milwaukee Avenue.
Who’s on the ballot?
In addition to the presidential race, area voters will have the chance to make a choice in the District 1 race for U.S. Congress. Republican Bryan Steil, of Janesville, is completing his first term and faces a challenge from Roger Polack, of Racine. Polack is a lawyer who worked as a civilian national security advisor in Washington during the Obama and Bush administrations.
Most local voters will also have the chance to cast ballots for their state Assembly representatives. The candidates, by district, are:
- 32nd District (Includes towns of Lyons, Spring Prairie and Wheatland, and a portion of the Town of Burlington) – Incumbent Tyler August, R, Lake Geneva, vs. Katherine Gaulke, D, Elkhorn.
- 62nd District (Includes Village of Raymond and Town of Norway) – Incumbent Robert Wittke, R, Racine, vs. August Schultz, D, Caledonia.
- 63rd District (Includes City of Burlington, villages of Rochester and Union Grove, towns of Dover and Yorkville, and the majority of the Town of Burlington) – Incumbent Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R, Rochester, vs. Joel Jacobsen, D, Burlington.
- 83rd District (includes village and town of Waterford) – Incumbent Chuck Wichgers, R, Muskego, vs. Alan DeYoung, D, Muskego. Voters in this district will also vote for a state Senate candidate to replace incumbent Dave Craig in the 28th Senate District. Craig did not seek re-election. The candidates are Adam Murphy, D, Franklin, and Julian Bradley, R, Franklin.
In the lone Racine County race, Register of Deeds Connie Cobb Madsen, a Democrat who was appointed by Gov. Tony Evers, is challenged by Republican Karie Pope, clerk for the Village of Caledonia.
In-depth coverage of the local races appears in the Oct. 29-30 editions of the Burlington Standard Press, Waterford Post and Westine Report. Copies of the newspapers are available at retail outlets in the area.
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