Milwaukee election observers earn mixed reviews

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Gov. Scott Walker won by a comfortable margin Tuesday in Wisconsin’s recall election. The closely watched contest drew national attention, forecasts of a narrow race and predictions of a recount in balloting that highlighted the role of election observers.

Sometimes called poll watchers, election observers are associated with a candidate or a cause and are allowed to monitor polling activity. Observers Tuesday came from groups that included the League of Women Voters, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, We are Wisconsin, Wisconsin Jobs Now and True the Vote.

Jean McCoy-Garner, the top official at the Engleburg Elementary School polling location in north Milwaukee, said observers didn’t cause her many problems Tuesday.

“Sometimes I have to remind them of what they can and can’t do,” she said. “Ultimately they need to let people have the freedom to vote, and they can’t do certain things.”

Jamila Gatlin took exception with the official’s analysis, saying that she was offended by the three observers at the school.

“That’s pretty harassing if you ask me,” Gatlin said after she voted and left the school. “Why do we have to be watched while we vote? Do they go watch people vote in their areas?”

Gatlin was bothered by the fact that all the observers were white, she said, and they were dispatched to a predominantly African-American polling place. It didn’t matter, she said, that two of them were from organizations described as conservative and one was from a liberal group.

By AJ Vicens, News21

CNN, NBC News project Gov. Scott Walker as recall winner

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CNN and NBC News have projected Gov. Scott Walker as the winner in the Wisconsin gubernatorial recall election.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett needed a strong showing in Madison and Milwaukee, but Walker outperformed Barrett in rural and suburban districts. Democrats made a final push to turn out the vote in urban centers, but could not compensate for Walker gains elsewhere.

For additional election night coverage and analysis, follow @AJVicens and @Khantasha, as well as @WhoCanVote.

What to watch for as Wisconsin numbers roll out

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Here is a quick guide to filter through the recall election rough and tumble:

1) Dane County.   The University of Wisconsin-Madison and the state government call Dane County home, and a win for Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is improbable without a far-above-average showing.  Early reports from Madison indicated turnout could rise beyond the 100 percent of registered voters and include those who registered Tuesday.

2) Unions.  Gov. Scott Walker’s effort to limit union workers’ collective bargaining rights has been the focal point of the recall, and Twitter was flooded Tuesday with reports of union workers heading to the polls.  If the union vote is the highest that it has been in eight years, as the Washington Post projects is possible, the race gets even tighter.

3) Overall Turnout.  The state Government Accountability Board has projected turnout around 65 percent, which would be higher than in 2010 and lower than in 2008.  If turnout trends mimic 2010, when Walker was elected governor, then Democrats’ recall hopes might be dashed.

4) Tea Party Vote. If Tea Party voters flock to the polls as they did nationwide in 2010, then Barrett might again be disappointed in his race for the governor’s seat. Exit polls Tuesday show deep divisions among voters and dissatisfaction with both political parties, but Walker’s campaign will rely on those who strongly approve of his time in office.

By Annelise Russell, News21

Early exit polls indicate high union turnout in Wisconsin

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Union households could make up about one-third of the voters in Tuesday’s recall election, according to the Washington Post, and if that figure holds up, it would be the best showing for unions in Wisconsin in eight years.

Gov. Scott Walker led the effort to limit the collective bargaining rights of union workers last fall, and public worker unions have pushed back, with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reporting eight out of 10 voters Tuesday either strongly approve or strongly disapprove of the way Walker addressed the issue.

Polls suggest Walker still has the edge, according the Post, but if union turnout, as well as increased day-of registration in Madison and Milwaukee, bolsters support for Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the Democrat could close the gap.

By Annelise Russell, News21

Coffee Break Ballot, June 5: Current Trends in Voting Rights

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Here in the News21 newsroom, we’ve been closely watching the Wisconsin recall election this morning (see our post below).

But that doesn’t mean we haven’t been reading and tweeting about other voting rights issues.

Here’s a glimpse at what’s been on our radar today.

What We’ve Been Reading

“House seeks to soften voter ID bill as Tillis addresses concerns about GOP agenda,” (John Frank, 06/05, Raleigh News & Observer)

“New Voting Laws Could Take Out Barack Obama This Fall,” (Chuck Strouse, 06/05, Miami New Times)

“Milwaukee calls in extra poll workers amid heavy turnout,” (Larry Sandler and Nicole Levy, 06/05, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

“In Wisconsin, reports of voter suppression efforts,” (Lucy Madison, 06/05, CBS News)

“Could voter fraud sway Wisconsin recall election?” (06/04, FOX News)

Twitter Trends

We might be following voting rights in other areas of the country, but Twitter is pretty fixated today on the Wisconsin recall election.

The hashtag #WIRecall is exploding. According to social media search engine Topsy.com, the term has been mentioned more than 51,000 times in the last 24 hours. The recall election has crept into other voting rights tweets, as users on both sides of the political divide have been posting about issues in voting rights, voter ID and voter fraud in Wisconsin.

For more on these and other issues, be sure to follow us @WhoCanVote, and keep an eye on our reporters in Wisconsin and South Dakota, @AJVicens, @KhanTasha, @AliaConley and @EMNohr.

Wisconsin Recall: Midway Update

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Voting in Wisconsin’s gubernatorial recall election is underway and the polls will remain open until 8 p.m. CDT, but here’s a quick look at trends at the polls this morning:

 

Alabama county argues part of Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional

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Alabama county argues part of Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional

Frank Ellis Jr., is the attorney for Shelby County, Ala. By Khara Persad/News21

The attorney for Shelby County, Ala., has filed a lawsuit that contests the constitutionality of Voting Rights Act sections that require federal oversight of any changes in election laws in all or portions of 17 states.

Attorney Frank Ellis Jr., argues in the lawsuit, which could reach the Supreme Court, that the requirements of sections 4(b) and 5 are a burden based upon voting discrimination practices that have disappeared since Congress passed the law in 1965.

“To require governments to spend tens of millions of dollars — local governments that need that money for other purposes, for education, for police protection, for facilities and infrastructure — it’s archaic and out of date,” Ellis said.

By Jack Fitzpatrick and Khara Persad, News21

Alabama NAACP leader talks about struggle to motivate voters

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Alabama NAACP leader talks about struggle to motivate voters

Steve Branch is the Alabama state chair for voter registration. Photo by Khara Persad/News21

Steve Branch, the NAACP voter registration chairman for Alabama, is committed to getting voters out of their homes and into polling places, he said, but the challenge for the civil rights organization is convincing people that their votes can make a difference.

 

“We’re trying to get our people to vote not only in general elections, but in primaries and in anything else that comes up,” Branch said. “We’re trying to get into an election habit.”
It’s an uphill battle, Branch said, because many voters are apathetic and don’t believe that voting matters.

 

“I have to say to people, ‘Listen, you have to look at the vote as far as what’s happening in your community. You can change the county commissioner. You can change the circuit court judge. You may be able to change your county sheriff – people who are oppressing you. You can change this to work in your favor,’” Branch said.

By Jack Fitzpatrick and Khara Persad, News21

Wisconsin voter law could limit student vote

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Ellie Ganz, a 19-year-old student at the University of Wisconsin, said she’s not very political, but protests and commotion near the school’s Madison campus last fall were hard to ignore.

Ganz and other students had a front-row seat to the state capital protests against Gov. Scott Walker’s effort to limit collective bargaining rights for public employees. Some students, however, might not be able to participate in the election Tuesday.

Wisconsin’s voter ID provision is on hold, but not all of the law. A judge has suspended the requirement that voters show ID at the polls, but a 28-day residency requirement — an increase from the previous 10-day rule — remains in effect.

Voters must reside in an “election ward for at least 28 consecutive days and have no present intent to move,” according to the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB). The board released a memorandum May 17 informing students of the changes to the election law residency requirement.

The requirement might keep students away from the polls, said Mike Browne, the deputy director of the liberal-leaning non-profit One Wisconsin Now.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how that younger vote turns out,” Browne said. “Because they’re not massed in the same kind of densities like they are in a normal November election, and there’s been the change in law that is going to make it more difficult for them to vote in this election.”

By Tasha Khan and AJ Vicens, News21

What if Wisconsin recall comes down to a recount?

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Polling places in the Wisconsin recall election between Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Democratic challenger Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett will open at 7 a.m. CDT Tuesday, but a narrowing race could leave candidates waiting months for results.

Recent public opinion polls by Angus Reid and Public Policy Polling indicate a tightening race. Reid has Walker ahead by six points, 53 percent to 47 percent. PPP gives Walker a three-point advantage, 50-47 percent.

A narrow margin of victory for either candidate could prompt a recount, although in Wisconsin there is no automatic trigger. Candidates may request that votes be tallied again. Elections decided by less than a .5 percent margin can be recounted at no cost to the candidate, according to Wisconsin law.  If the margin of victory is more than .5 percent and less than 2 percent, candidates are required to pay $5 for every ward they request a recount.

If the election is decided by more than 2 percent, candidates who petition for a recount must assume all costs.

Within five days of a complete recount, candidates dissatisfied with the results may then appeal to circuit court and, eventually, appeals court, likely postponing certifying a winner for months.

By Annelise Russell, News21