SALON

Tuesday, Jun 5, 2012 7:51 PM UTC

Wisconsin turnout high, but high enough?

Indicators suggest a record number of voters are going to the polls -- but will they be enough to lift Tom Barrett?

By

Topics: Wisconsin Recall,

Wisconsin turnout high, but high enough?Voters in Milwaukee, Wisc. (Credit: AP/Dinesh Ramde)

It’s a cliche, but today’s recall election in Wisconsin will come down to turnout. And, so far, voters are turning out in potentially record numbers across the state. Officials and observers predicted big numbers for an off-year election, but the numbers may trump even those high expectations, as some precincts predict they’ll have bigger turnout than 2008’s presidential election.

Officials predicted turnout to reach 60 to 65 percent today, but Douglas County Clerk Susan Sandvick said, “I’m thinking that we might even get a little higher than that, in considering too that there was a high amount of absentee voting that occurred also.” Statewide, 200,000 requested absentee ballots.

Democrat Tom Barrett will no doubt be closely monitoring turnout in Milwaukee, where he is the mayor and draws a strong base of support. It’s likely good news for him then that heavy turnout led the city Election Commission to send in extra poll workers to at least eight stations. “We knew things would be busy, but we didn’t know how busy,” said Sue Edman, the election commission’s executive director. Officials report the increase is due in part to “a significant number of new voters … registering at the polls” — another good sign for Barrett.

There are also long lines in liberal Dane County, which contains Madison. “We could hit 80 to 88 percent,” Peters said of Dane County’s turnout. That would be huge numbers that could help drive up Barrett’s totals. County Clerk Karen Peters called the outpouring of people “just wild.” The turnout in the liberal bastion is sufficently high enough to worry some conservatives, as the Weekly Standard already published an item arguing that “the increased turnout in Dane County may not be enough to put Tom Barrett over the top.”

But there was strong turnout in strongholds of Republican Gov. Scott Walker as well, like Delafield, where 2,076 ballots had been cast by noon in a city that went 2-to-1 for Walker over Barrett in their first matchup in 2010. The same was true in the City of Oconomowoc, where there was a line of voters more than 20 deep in the early afternoon.

Port Washington, in the conservative Milwaukee suburbs, saw a polling place inside a school gym get packed just 10 minutes after polls opened at 7 this morning. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” a veteran poll worker told the local Patch site. The story is the same in other suburbs, according to the site, which tend to vote Republican and are crucial to Walker’s math.

Most observers think greater turnout overall favors Democrats, as the increase will likely come from demographics that generally vote in lower numbers but lean liberal, especially young people and minorities. Higher turnout also suggests the robust union-backed grand game is working smoothly, the thinking goes.

While there is certainly a strong headwind blowing against Democrats, the latest polls suggested Barrett had some modest momentum. That, combined with greater-than-expected turnout in liberal precincts, could be enough to sway things. Maybe.

Exit polls won’t begin coming out until 5 p.m. local time, while actual results will come after the polls close at 8.

Alex Seitz-Wald

Alex Seitz-Wald is Salon's political reporter. Email him at aseitz-wald@salon.com, and follow him on Twitter @aseitzwald. More Alex Seitz-Wald.

Next Article

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

More Related Stories

Comments

 18 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username ( settings | log out )

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

vote
Check out the full Bank of America whistleblower details (affidavits) "Read former staff describe getting Target gift cards as a prize for foreclosing on people, and other awful schemes"
363 points364 points | 16 comments
vote
The full Bank of America whistleblower details (affidavits)
320 points321 points | 7 comments
vote
Study: Young people are more liberal than they think they are.
66 points67 points | 22 comments
vote
How cash secretly rules surveillance policy: Today's congressional hearing was a joke. The reason: Firms like Booz Allen bankroll and own Congress. Here's how
41 points42 points | 6 comments
vote
The internal war between House Oversight Committee chair Darrell Issa and ranking Democrat Elijah Cummings blew up again Tuesday, when Cummings released the full transcript of a five-hour interview with the conservative Republican IRS screening manager.
40 points41 points | 6 comments

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves": Growing up primate

Recommendations