MADISON, Wis.– We’ve finally found something ‘normal’ in this pandemic: a February election with low voter turnout. It’s not the outcome local clerks wanted, but it’s what they both expected and planned to see.
For many Wisconsin voters, 2020 was the first time many ever cast an absentee ballot.
“We had 120,000 absentees issued for November last year, and I think about 80 or 90,000 of those were returned,” recalled Maggie McClain, City of Madison Municipal Clerk.
Absentee was the method of choice for about half of Madison-area voters for today’s Feb. 16th election, too.
“I think a lot more people are taking advantage of it,” said McClain, of the absentee voting system Madison has been building and improving upon since the pandemic started. “We’re just seeing it today, with this election. 13,000 ballots returned. I think that, before, we might have only issued about 7 or 8,000.”
As McClain mentioned, 13,000 absentee ballots had already been received by Election Day: half of the 26,000 requested.
November’s election energy, however, didn’t hold, and both Dane and Rock County officials are projecting less than 10% voter turnout.
“We had to deal with some snow this morning. Much of the area did,” said Rock County Clerk Lisa Tollefson. “I’m sure that slowed turnout down. Plus, it’s very cold.”
Local election officials prepare for 50% turnout during primary elections, but that’s “just not the reality,” according to McClain.
“We would like to see the civic engagement as high as a general election or a presidential election all the time, but that doesn’t happen,” she explained.
After Feb. 16, it’s back-to-reality and back to planning for Clerks’ offices statewide. Another Wisconsin election is less than two months away: April 6th. City, village, and town races will be on the ballot, as well as school district referenda.
“Those races affect your local area so much,” said Tollefson. “Your property tax bills, how your schools are run, what roads get fixed. It’s too important not to vote.”
‘My Vote Wisconsin’ is a great resource for voters who need to register to vote, find their polling location, or learn what’s on the ballot.
Click here to make your voting plan today.
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