Recap: Wisconsin voters go to the polls for 2024 election

Every Election Day in Wisconsin is important, but Tuesday had historic importance.

In the presidential race, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris faced Republican former President Donald Trump. There was also a U.S. Senate race in Wisconsin, House and legislative races and school referendums.

Wisconsin voters came out in big numbers, in addition to those who voted during in-person early voting and by absentee ballots.

The Journal Sentinel covered polling places from when they opened at 7 a.m. to when they closed at 8 p.m. Here’s a recap of how the day went, from the latest updates to the earliest:

More:Election Day in Wisconsin: Essential information about voting, key races and results

In Whitewater, over 100 voters wait in line after the polls close

Brynn Zimmerman and her boyfriend were driving back from their Tuesday trivia night when she drove past the Whitewater Armory Gym and saw a line of over 100 voters waiting to cast their ballot.

Zimmerman voted around 3 p.m. Tuesday and said it took an hour to vote. Now, after 8 p.m., voters are facing even longer wait times.

“They didn’t have us split by ward this year, which I think played a part in it,” Zimmerman said. “There’s been a line all day.”

The location primarily serves University of Wisconsin-Whitewater students who live off-campus, as well as city locals.

— Tamia Fowlkes

Polling station at Milwaukee’s Garland School sees over 200 new registrations

At 8 p.m., Denise Bartlett announced, “Hear ye, hear ye, the polls are now closed.”

She’s the chief poll worker at Milwaukee’s Garland School on the south side. The polling station has been extremely busy, with over 1,000 voters and over 200 same-day registrations. There were also eight election observers.

Bartlett had her 78th birthday two days ago and has worked at polls since 2000. She has been at the polling station since 6 a.m. and doesn’t expect to be back home until 10 p.m.

— Eva Wen

No Spanish translators available at south side polling site for part of Election Day

Despite Milwaukee’s south side having the highest concentration of Latino voters in the city, no Spanish-speaking poll workers were available at South Division High School polling site until around 1 p.m. on Election Day.

Imelda Montes, 56, walked into South Division High School late Tuesday morning to help her elderly parents cast their ballots. Montes, who was visiting from Mexico and does not speak English, struggled to help her parents register to vote because no poll workers could speak Spanish, she said.

Ruby De Leon, the in-house attorney with Voces de La Frontera Action, was at the polling location as an election observer when she witnessed Montes and her parents struggling to speak to poll workers.

Poll workers provided Montes with Spanish-language material, which the City of Milwaukee is required to have by federal law, but there was no one to help with the questions she had.

Other voters — and at one point, somebody on the phone with Montes — helped translate and navigate her through the process.

“It was a battle, but we did it,” Montes said in Spanish.

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— Jessica Rodriguez, Eva Wen and Quinn Clark

Lines at New Berlin Activity and Rec Center moving again after computers froze

Voters faced long lines Tuesday night at the New Berlin Activity & Recreation Center when the computer system for checking in voters and giving them voter numbers and ballots broke down.

Virginia Moths, the chief election inspector for New Berlin District 1, said the computer system “started freezing up sporadically around 5 p.m.”

Election officials made the decision to switch to checking in voters through paper records in binders and, by around 7:15, after a quick training session, voters started being checked in again. The line — which wrapped around several times in the main activity center as well as a few times in the outer lobby — started moving quickly.

State law says that anyone who was in line by 8 p.m. would be able to vote.

Before the computers went down, a local group of Cub Scouts — Pack 140 from Poplar Creek Elementary — arrived at the rec center as part of an activity to learn about how government works.

Andy Seiter, the group’s den master, said they’ve been learning about how bills become laws, how people vote for their leaders and how an election runs.

“We decided to take advantage of this being an election year as an opportunity to see government in action,” Seiter said.

— Amy Schwabe

Cedarburg observer shared fears on election integrity despite assurance from election officials

Election observers, or people who visit polling sites to identify errors and challenge ballots, are now regular fixtures, clerks in several northern suburbs of Milwaukee said Tuesday.

Most observers declined to speak with the Journal Sentinel or said they were not authorized to do so.

Denise Zenk, who sat in the middle of Cedarburg’s Community Center Gym with her husband for a few hours Tuesday night, said she participated in a training in October held by a Wisconsin GOP group, though she said she couldn’t remember the name.

Zenk had voted for Trump earlier due to her opposition to abortion access and transgender issues. She harbors concerns about whether the election will be fair and “wants to do her part,” she said.

City Clerk Tracie Sette conservatively estimated the site has seen over a dozen election observers.

She said the election in Cedarburg has gone smoothly and, an hour before polls closed, there were zero challenges submitted by observers, she said.

— Claudia Levens

Milwaukee city employees come to help with ballot recount

Thirty to 50 Ciy of Milwaukee employees came to its absentee ballot counting operation after the city put a notice out to its employees asking for help recounting some 31,000 absentee ballots, according to a city Election Commission official.

The Health Department, Fire Department and IT department were the three with the most employees to come to the Baird Center, the single location where the city is counting its absentee ballots.

— Alison Dirr

Reproductive rights draw out voters on Madison’s south side

At Aldo Leopold Elementary School on Madison’s south side, voters began lining up at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, chief inspector Abram Herrero reported. Twelve hours later, more than 1,260 people had cast their vote.

“This is the most I’ve ever seen, the most of any election, and I’ve been doing this for over 20 years,” Herrero said.

It was the first time he’d seen a line for same-day voter registration on-site, he said. Herrero also pointed out a large red bag of absentee ballots yet to be counted, including some he said came from overseas.

Jeremiah Hill, 20, said he came to cast a vote because he was concerned about the overturning of Roe v. Wade and about Project 2025, a presidential transition plan created by several conservative policy organizations and led by the Heritage Foundation.

For Carolyn Nuttycobe, 40, it was about protecting her reproductive rights and “an absolute, horrific disdain for the prospect of another Trump presidency.”

— Madeline Heim

Election observers spend hours watching absentee vote count at Franklin City Hall

In Franklin, voting procedures are under close watch.

Around 6 p.m., seven election observers sat crowded inside a rectangle marked on the floor with blue painter’s tape. That rectangle was located inside the council chamber in Franklin City Hall, a fluorescent-lit administrative room where, just a few feet away, election workers were busy tabulating the city’s 13,564 absentee ballots.

None of those election observers agreed to be interviewed when asked by a reporter around 6:15 p.m. But, they said they were unaffiliated with one another and had been stationed at the polling place for hours — at least one since 7 a.m.

One observer, who identified herself as a Republican and said she had been advised not to speak with reporters, said she watched the absentee vote count to help “keep things honest.”

— Cleo Krejci

Big turnout at West Milwaukee Community Centre

Poll worker Jerry Sormrude at the West Milwaukee Community Centre said the polling site has been “very busy” today.

Sormrude said the busiest times were right when it first opened, noon, and 4:30 to 6.

At around 6:40 p.m., there was a person at each voting booth in the community center.

However, Sormrude said it was slow compared to peak hours.  

Despite the busy day, Sormrude said the longest wait time for voters hasn’t exceeded 10 minutes.

The day has gone very smoothly, he added, and 1,500 ballots have been submitted.

— Quinn Clark

Polling places busy on city of Madison’s north side

Voters leaving Door Creek Church on Madison’s north side around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday were treated to a few minutes of a bright pink sunset between fits of rain.

Inside, chief inspector Jason Robinson said the day had been “really, really hectic and busy,” with 880 votes cast and nearly 100 people seeking same-day registration. Robinson said voting had been going smoothly and that the three election inspectors present had been “really engaging.”

“I’m a former member of the United States Army, and I regard the work that these people do as more important than anything I ever saw anybody do in the Army to protect democracy,” he said, gesturing to the workers in the room.

Sam Jochim, 40, said she voted for “Harris all the way.” Women’s health was top-of-mind when she cast her ballot.

“My husband and I are both teachers — our days are stressful enough,” Jochim said of her election-night plans. “We’re going to go home, we’re going to cuddle with our kitties, and just try to relax and ignore some of the noise — because I feel like it’s kind of noise until we know, right?”

— Madeline Heim

Wauwatosa polling site lines quick as the night winds down

Wauwatosa polling sites got the morning rush and have had few lines as the evening has gone on, City Clerk Steve Braatz said as workers tallied ballots at the city’s central count.

The two polling sites located in Wauwatosa’s City Hall and the adjoining public library had a steady trickle of voters and some election observers, with 1,154 votes cast at the City Hall site by 6 p.m.

Melita Biese, a chief polling site officer along with Allen Groh, thought the site didn’t get the end-of-day rush she’d expected, thanks to high turnout for in-person absentee voting.

Jim Thielke, who was voting in his second presidential election, said he’s on the “non-Trump wave” for his ballot.

Despite not being old enough to vote yet, Charlotte Thielke, 17, tagged along to the polls to witness the voting process.

“I just wanted to participate, and I was jealous that they could vote,” she said.

— Bridget Fogarty

At Milwaukee’s Clinton Rose Senior Center, a lot of voter registration

Rain didn’t stop a steady stream of voters coming into the Clinton Rose Senior Center in Milwaukee.

By 5:30 p.m., more than 600 people had voted. Poll workers also were busy registering first-time voters. And cheers went out in the center’s gymnasium for each person who voted for the first time.

Kimberly Eubanks, the election chief for the site, said as many as 200 people used same-day voter registration.

Will E. Smith Jr. brought his 18-year-old grandson, Carrington Smith, to exercise his right to vote. Will said it was important for Carrington to understand what his great-great-grandparents went through to obtain the right.

“And it is important to vote people that can help you,” Will said to his grandson. “He doesn’t understand now but he will thank me in four or five years.”

Carrington, who had already registered to vote, said he’ll make voting a habit from now on and is thankful his grandfather brought him.

— La Risa Lynch

Large turnout in Milwaukee’s south-side wards

Poll chief Greg Breitbach has been working Election Day on the south side for about the last eight years.

“It’s been busier than usual,” Breitbach said.

In the past, the highest voter number was around 150. At about 5 p.m., Wards 228 and 231 had more than 315 voters.

“It’s great to see the locals finally coming out,” Breitbach said.

The polling location ran out of Spanish registration forms twice and, with three hours left, Breitbach had to call the Milwaukee Election Commission to get more English registration forms.

But along with voters, election observers came out to the location. In the 2020 election, Breitbach said there were about four observers. This year, there were nine, including both major parties.

— Ricardo Torres 

Milwaukee Election Commission executive director says absentee ballot machines not tampered with

Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Paulina Gutiérrez said Tuesday night that the decision to begin recounting the city’s absentee ballots was made out of an “abundance of caution” after the discovery that doors on some of the machines used to tally the votes from absentee ballots had not been properly closed.

“I know for a fact that these machines are highly secure. There was no tampering,” she said. “We were able to confirm that.”

Gutiérrez didn’t know exactly why the doors hadn’t been properly closed, which caused seals on those doors to become loose.

The unsealed doors cover the on-off button, she said.

“What would happen is, if someone tampered with it, would turn it off, which is a very apparent thing that we would all see here in this public sphere,” Gutiérrez said.

— Alison Dirr

DACA recipient brings citizen brother to vote in Milwaukee

Twenty-year-old Edgar Alcantar had never voted before. But he had some help from older sister Adriana Alcantar, who brought him to the polling place at Milwaukee Area Technical College’s south-side location.

“Now that it’s down to it and it’s a very close race, it’s like I gotta do something about it,” Edgar said. “I got to help my people the best I can.”

Adriana waited to the side and watched her brother vote. It’s something she can’t do because she’s not a citizen. Adriana was brought to the U.S. illegally as a child and has DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) status.

“That’s why I’m bringing him here. You’re my vote,” Adriana said. “I’m proud of him. Because this is important. I think that there’s a lot at stake and, if there’s ever a time when he needs to make his vote matter, it’s now.”

Edgar said when he was in the voter booth, he thought about others like his sister who can’t vote.

“It’s a lot of pressure, honestly,” Edgar said.

Although he doesn’t follow politics closely, Edgar said he voted for Harris.

“I was a little skeptical on both candidates,” Edgar said. ”I love the plans that she has for middle-class people.”

Edgar said he doesn’t feel like Trump is “fit to be president.”

Adriana also doesn’t support Trump.

“DACA is on the line for me,” Adriana said. “If Trump comes into the office, he’s going to want to heavily fight to remove that and that’s my way to stay here and be a contributing member of society.”

— Ricardo Torres

Some municipalities’ ballots left off $19 million Mosinee school referendum

In Marathon County, some municipalities printed at least 20 ballots that didn’t include a school referendum, according to election complaints as of Oct. 30.

Voters in the Mosinee School District, which includes nine municipalities, will decide Tuesday whether the district should invest $19 million into replacing and renovating parts of its middle and high school building, according to the district website.

While each municipality is in charge of printing its own ballots, the boundaries of school districts can extend across multiple cities and villages, meaning the referendum should have been posed to voters in multiple municipalities.

However, on Oct. 24, district superintendent Greg Doverspike filed a complaint to the Wisconsin Elections Commission alleging that local officials in the town of Reid and village of Kronenwetter left off the question in ballots distributed to early and absentee voters.

Kronenwetter officials released a statement saying 20 residents in Ward 11, who voted early between Oct. 22 and 24, may have received these incorrect ballots. The village said it was making “every effort” to contact the affected voters, and people who voted absentee by mail were not affected.

WEC administrator Meagan Wolfe responded to Doverspike’s complaint on Oct. 30, saying the commission could not address his complaint because he’s not a resident of Kronenwetter or Reid himself.

It was unclear how many voters may have been affected in Reid. As of Tuesday, it’s unknown whether all the affected ballots have been fixed.

— Maia Pandey

Poll workers say more translators needed at Milwaukee location

Paola Rodriguez and Michael Orlowski of Forward Together Wisconsin said they called the election hotline at around 11 a.m. after a voter told them there weren’t enough translators inside Allen-Field Elementary School’s polling place.

Rodriguez and Orlowski said they have only been helping outside of the school, directing people to the right entrance, answering questions and “hyping people up” to keep voters’ enthusiasm high.

Since they’ve remained outside, they’re unsure if the number of translators increased since then.

Rodriguez said the hotline was able to remind her of laws regarding translators; for example, voters can bring a family member with them who can help translate.

Chief inspector Rafael Garcia said the polling place has three translators and no other issues have occurred since.

Everything has run smoothly, Garcia said at around 5 p.m. and “no news is good news.”

Garcia, said, throughout the day, lines have formed of people waiting to register to vote. Poll workers at around 5:30 p.m. said about 160 people have registered at Allen-Field today. “We broke records,” said Garcia of the number of registrations. “This is history. We’re a part of history.”

— Quinn Clark

An early rush at UW-Eau Claire but no lines in early evening

Nearly 2,000 people have cast ballots at the campus polling location for two wards serving primarily UW-Eau Claire students.

There was a rush around lunch, with a line wrapping all the way down from the ballroom to the elevators. By 5 p.m., however, students had no wait.

Matthew Lehner, a UW-Eau Claire student who leads the statewide College Democrats group, said most college students tend to vote blue and an increasing share of them turned out in last year’s state Supreme Court race, compared to the 2022 midterms.

“I think you’re gonna see that trend continue,” Lehner predicted a few hours before polls close at 8 p.m.

— Kelly Meyerhofer

Steady turnout, but with most votes already cast in Waukesha County before Election Day

While it wasn’t an unusual pattern compared to previous elections, including 2020, one thing was different in polling sites in central Waukesha County and Lake Country: About 60% of the votes had already been cast before Election Day, thanks to in-person advance voting and absentee ballots.

“That leaves 35% to 40% to vote today,” said Diane Coenen, Oconomowoc’s city clerk, noting that more absentee ballots were trickling in today. “It’ll be steady, meaning there will be people coming in all day long and at times there will be a line,” but few crowds.

In Pewaukee, City Clerk Amy Hurd, who saw crowds at polls as they opened at 7 a.m., also noted that more than half the votes had arrived before Tuesday.

Voters leaving the polls weren’t too chatty. In Waukesha, Andrew Pippenger, who cast his presidential vote for Trump, said he viewed his vote as a step toward better representation in Washington. “My thing is that I feel this is our last chance for actual democracy in our country, so that’s why I voted the way I voted,” he said.

In Oconomowoc, Amy Kale cast her vote for Harris and said her intent was to act on an important right.

“I’m lucky to be able to vote,” she said.

— Jim Riccioli

Younger people volunteering to be poll workers in Milwaukee

Officials at some Milwaukee polling places were surprised by the number of young poll workers volunteering to work on Election Day.

“It’s just unique for me to have these really young people who speak Spanish working for us,” said Rohan de Silva, chief inspector at the polling place at Don & Sallie Davis Boys & Girls Club on the city’s south side. “Usually the average age of my poll workers is in the 50s or 60s.”

Maria Villalpando, 28, wanted to help make it easier for people to vote, especially non-English speakers.

“I could easily understand why it would be frustrating for people if they’re not comfortable with the language,” she said.

She helped check Spanish-speaking voters in at the polling place and helped answer questions about filling out the ballot.

Haley Woods, 30, also was inspired to volunteer as a poll worker after hearing from a co-worker who had done it.

“This is a system I’ve participated in as a voter, … but it’s a system that doesn’t work unless you have people filling these roles,” she said. “And that was a role I could fill.”

— Sarah Volpenhein

Record number of voters and same-day registration at Milwaukee’s Cooper Public School

As of around 4:30 p.m. at Cooper Public School in Milwaukee, over 600 people had voted.

Wendy Wasserman, who was in charge at the polling station, was busy helping first-time voters and those who hadn’t registered. She said there has been a record number of same-day registrations at the station.

At 2:45 p.m., the station ran out of voter registration forms and had to call for more to be brought.

— Eva Wen

Two Greendale sisters support Trump in the presidential election

Karen and Margaret Brelsford are Greendale sisters who are supporting Trump. The two opted to vote in-person, something Karen described as being “old-fashioned.”

Karen said the economy and border issues as why she chose Trump. Although she said his personality doesn’t appeal to everybody, she likes that he gets things done.

Margaret said issues like abortion are important, but there should be more boundaries because she believes abortion isn’t a form of birth control.

— Adrienne Davis

Whitefish Bay residents voting for Harris on Tuesday ranged from enthusiastic to hesitant

Mary Sharon Gregory, 77, proudly wore a “suffragette button” made before women had the right to vote as she visited the Whitefish Bay Library, one of the village’s four polling sites.

She was there to find books, since she had already dropped off an absentee ballot due to lingering precautions from previous elections during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It speaks to the current times,” she said.

Gregory voted for Harris, mainly out of a desire to protect reproductive health care for women.

Another voter at the Library, Cristian Cormier, said her biggest draw towards Harris and away from Trump was “freedom and democracy.”

Richard Kaplan, typically an independent, felt similarly, specifying his vote for Harris is based in character and policy.

Meanwhile, Gus Zuccaro, 19, said he was excited to vote for the first time but has been stressed this election season, unsure of who to vote for.

Zuccaro, also an independent voter and a student at MATC, landed on Harris but disagrees with her stance on abortion. At the same time, he said he was put off by Trump’s stance on immigration, in particular his comments indicating he’d deport people en masse.

“We need paths to immigrate here because we need those workers. Kicking them out would be bad for our economy,” Zuccaro said.

— Claudia Levens

South suburbs see steady turnout with short wait times in many communities

Turnout was strong and steady in many south Milwaukee suburbs on election day.

Cudahy High School had a long line out to the parking lot with many saying voting was taking close to an hour.

While residents waited in line, the “voter express,” a Cudahy Police ATV, shuttled some elderly and disabled residents to the door and back to their cars.

Cudahy resident Gregory Ortiz said while he had to wait about 20 minutes to get in the door, the voting process was “smooth.” Ortiz voted for Trump because he isn’t a politician and “gets stuff done.”

“He’s the guy who’s going to change the way we’ve been living,” he said. “That’s what we need.”

Cudahy City Clerk Kelly Sobieski said the turnout is high and agreed that “things are running smoothly.”

Lines were light in South Milwaukee with the average voter taking about 10 minutes to enter, cast their ballot and leave both the Grobschmidt Senior Center and the Administration sides of the building at 2424 15th Avenue.

South Milwaukee City Clerk Sandi Wesolowski said while there are no lines for voting, there have been lines for people to register to vote.

— Erik S. Hanley

Turnout high in Riverwest neighborhood in Milwaukee: ‘Old hippies live here’

The chief inspector at Riverwest Elementary School polling location said he’ll likely need to request more ballots to be delivered since turnout has been high.

The public ballot count was above 400 as of 4 p.m., according to Philip Taterczynski.

“We had a lot of people from this ward who voted early, and I know that because I worked early voting,” Taterczynski said. “But we reached 300 voters before noon. That’s a lot.”

Taterczynski said this ward in Riverwest has about a 60% turnout rate, which is higher than most wards.

“I attribute that to the fact that there are a lot of people who live in this neighborhood that were active when they were younger.

“A lot of old hippies live here.”

— Drake Bentley

First-time voters in Milwaukee urge other young people to vote

For some young people, Tuesday was their first time casting a ballot in a presidential election.

Esther Castorena, 19, of Milwaukee, almost didn’t vote. After listening to each party’s candidates, she came away confused and unsure what to do.

“But my family really pushed me” to vote, she said from the polling place at the Milwaukee Spanish Immersion School on South 88th Street.

In the end, Castorena cast her vote for Harris. One of the issues motivating her vote was abortion.

“If something were to happen to me or a family member, at the end of the day, we’re going to need the medical help,” she said. “It’s about women and our health.”

Nieves Garcia, 21, of Milwaukee, also cast his first presidential vote for Harris. Front of mind for Garcia was the protection of LGBTQ rights and women’s rights.

“I don’t even think things like that should be a discussion,” he said, speaking from Redeemer Evangelical Free Church in Milwaukee. “It’s just about basic human rights.’

— Sarah Volpenhein

Milwaukee’s Central Count to rerun 31,000 absentee ballots due to ‘human error’

City of Milwaukee spokesman Jeff Fleming told media that Central Count will rerun roughly 31,000 absentee ballots following a “sealing” error with the tabulation machines at the downtown site.

“It’s just out of an abundance of caution. We have no reason to believe that there was any compromise to any of the machines,” said Fleming. “But because they were not fully sealed — human error — and not fully sealed, we are going to zero them all out again … and then rerun the balance that had already been processed.”

Caroline Reinwald, a spokesperson for the Milwaukee Election Commission, said that the doors had not been properly closed for the tabulation machines.

While counting was expected to end around the early hours of the morning, Fleming estimated that this will delay the final count anywhere between one to three hours.

— Vanessa Swales

West Allis man supports Dr. Cornel West in lieu of Harris or Trump

Wesley Buckles, from West Allis, voted for Dr. Cornel West. West launched the Justice for All Party in advance of this election.

Buckles said voting is important because you can’t complain about something if you don’t vote.

“If you don’t vote, you can’t complain or talk about nothing because you’re not changing nothing,” he said.

He also noted that taxes are too high, minimum wages should be raised and other issues such as international issues and groceries also need to be addressed.

Buckles also said he would love to see bipartisanship in the United States.

— Adrienne Davis

Working at the poll in honor of her parents

Dalinda Galaviz, 64, volunteered to work at a polling station on the south side of Milwaukee in honor of her parents. 

Born in Cudahy, Wisconsin, Galaviz is the daughter of Mexican immigrants. Her father came to Wisconsin after being sponsored by a company to work here in the 1960s. After becoming naturalized citizens in the 1970s, Galaviz’s parents would read about candidates and vote in every election, local or national. 

“They took it so seriously,” Galaviz said. “They would go to vote, and they would dress up. It was a really big deal.”

Galaviz has voted early for Harris. She’s excited to see a woman president and disheartened by the anti-immigrant rhetoric coming from Trump and JD Vance. 

“I’m so glad (my parents) are not here to see this,” Galaviz said.

— Eva Wen

Poll workers come to Milwaukee south side to ensure voter access

Sue Swan and Corrine Hockley, two volunteer election observers from Washington and Oregon, came to polls in Wisconsin to observe the polls and understand voter access.

Both went through training with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and, Tuesday, were at the Robert A. Anderson Water Tower & Municipal Building.

They came to Wisconsin because it’s a swing state and they wanted to make sure people who are eligible to vote are able to vote.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or a Democrat,” Swan said. “They should be able to vote.”

Swan and Hockley said things have gone smoothly and they have been impressed by how helpful poll workers have been to voters.

— Eva Wen

Brady Street polling place in Milwaukee sees younger people re-registering

Turnout at Firehouse Station Six on the east side of Milwaukee was “surprisingly good,” said Emma Nelson, chief inspector for the polling location on East Brady Street and North Franklin Place.

The site has poll watchers that have been there all day and some that have “checked in,” she said. There have been about seven or eight observers, according to Nelson.The site has seen 540 voters and about 180 new registrations, with a portion of those being first-time voters, Nelson said.

“There’s a lot of younger people who are moving frequently and a lot of people re-registering,” she added. 

One of those young people, Marissa Quinonez, said she was driven to the polls for mostly one issue — access to health care, especially women’s reproductive rights.

“I am a school social worker,” Quinonez, 26, said. “I am surrounded by types of situations like sexual abuse.

“For future generations, I want them to be able to have access to health care. And if they need an abortion for that situation, then they should be able to get it.”

“I believe having (Harris) as the president would be a huge step forward for our country.”

— Drake Bentley

Saz’s State House in Milwaukee is giving away free appetizers to voters

Saz’s State House, 5539 W. State St., is giving away a certificate for free appetizers to voters Tuesday.

“As a thank you for completing your civic duty today, stop in at Saz’s State House and receive a certificate for a free appetizer for your next visit!” a Facebook post about the deal said. 

Saz’s general manager Adam Hug said that patrons didn’t need to provide an “I Voted” sticker or other documentation that they hit the polls that day. It was also open to people who early voted. 

“We’re just trying to celebrate Election Day and encourage people to get out there and vote,” he said. 

— Jordyn Noennig

Annett Ahlmann-Styche has a packed Election Day.

Since 7 a.m., she’s been picking up residents in her wheelchair-accessible van to drive them to the polls.

By the time the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel caught up with her, Ahlmann-Styche, 86, was picking up her second rider in the Roosevelt Grove neighborhood on the city’s north side.

She has seven more scheduled runs to the polls.  

She drove her pickup from Roosevelt Grove, a mother, father and their daughter, a few blocks away to vote at the Milwaukee Department of Public Works field headquarters on 35th Street and Melvina Street.

Vernisha Jefferson said the ride benefits her mother, Lola, who uses a wheelchair. Without the option, her mother would probably vote absentee, Vernisha said. But her mom prefers voting in person.

“Miss Annette always come and get me,” Lola Jefferson said. “Like I told her, I will see you here in four more years.”

I really appreciate it. Because ain’t too many people concerned with taking motorized people to the polls. And she is very excited when she does it.”

Ahlmann-Styche has been providing rides to the polls for Souls to the Polls, a nonprofit organization that registers and mobilizes voters, ever since her husband died of multiple sclerosis three years ago.

She had such fond memories of the van that selling it was out of the question. Instead, she called Souls to the Polls to see if they had a need for a wheelchair-accessible van to take individuals with disabilities to the polls.

“And have they kept me busy,” Ahlmann-Styche said.

She has picked up repeat riders, like Lola Jefferson, who have become friends. 

She stocks the van with water and snacks. This time she passed out copies of the U.S. Constitution so people would know their rights.

“It’s not a political thing at all,” she said.

Her next stop was in South Milwaukee to pick up two visually impaired voters.

Ahlmann-Styche is always amazed at the tenacity of her riders to cast their ballots on Election Day. But she is also saddened to hear people making excuses for not voting.

“When you see some of the people who I take … go through serious hardships to get out here to vote, and they do it. They are committed,” said Ahlmann-Styche recalling her first rider who was diagnosed with cancer and uses a scooter. “It should make some people feel ashamed.”

For Ahlmann-Styche, the rides to the polls are in memory of her late husband. He used the van, now she is using it to help others.

“Really that is the motivation,” she said.

— La Risa Lynch

Latino nonprofit, Forward Latino, knocks on 9,000 doors

Darryl Morin, president of Forward Latino a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on Latinos, appeared at Central Count in the early afternoon.

He told the Journal Sentinel while his organization aims to help all Latinos, efforts have been focused on Milwaukee’s south side this election. Morin said that his volunteers have knocked on 9,000 doors and sent out roughly 15,000 text messages to voters.

Despite concerns about challenges to Latino voters at the polls, Morin said no major issues have come up on election day, and any problems that cropped up were easily resolved.

“It’s a good sign,” he said.

— Vanessa Swales

At Vincent High School in Milwaukee, turnout reaches 300

It began raining around 2:00 pm, but the on-and-off drizzle hasn’t kept voters at Vincent High School from dashing in and out of the building with jackets over their heads and umbrellas in hand.

Randall Ali, Chief Inspector at the Vincent High School polling location, said turnout was around 350 people by 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

Poll workers had registered 90 people since the beginning of the day and anticipated a rush of voters between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. once people wrap up their work day.

Tiffany Sheard, 41, voted for Kamala Harris. She said she was drawn to support Harris because she presented a clear plan to provide affordable healthcare and maintain women’s rights.

“I’m a mom, so that was my number one,” she said. “I have a daughter with endometriosis, so that was important to me.”

Terry McKissick, 71, said he always votes, but this election felt “critical.”

“Democracy is at stake here. This is important,” he said. “I want our country to get back on the right foot, togetherness, loving each other, helping each other.”

— Tamia Fowlkes

Muskego and New Berlin see steady stream of voters, even with high return rate of absentee ballots

The city clerks of both Muskego and New Berlin said most of their cities’ registered voters had already voted before election day during early in-person absentee voting.

Muskego city clerk Kerri Roller – who was at the City Hall polling place today — said more than 67% of registered voters had turned in absentee ballots; she estimated that 12,250 ballots had been returned by Saturday. She compared that number to the 2020 presidential election when approximately 13,000 absentee ballots were cast.

At one New Berlin polling place, the New Berlin Activity & Recreation Center, city clerk Rubina Medina said approximately 60% of New Berlin registered voters had turned in absentee ballots.

Because of the high absentee turnout, Medina said she had expected the polling places to be less crowded.

“Even with that, though, when polls opened this morning, there were lines in every polling location, and some of them were out the door,” Medina said.

By 1 p.m., those lines had diminished, although there was still a steady stream of voters coming to the recreation center, and Medina said she expected another rush later this afternoon when people started getting off of work.

At Muskego City Hall, there were no long lines at 1:30 p.m. but, similar to New Berlin, a steady stream of arrivals.

One voter, Jimmie Rush, said he voted today rather than early because he hadn’t had time to vote over the past few weeks.

— Amy Schwabe

Pregnant Greendale woman supports Vice President Kamala Harris and women’s rights

Calissa Houtler-McCoy voted in this year’s presidential election as a new resident of Greendale. She says the presidential election is always important.

“I think that the presidential election is always really important,” said Houtler-McCoy. “I don’t necessarily know that my vote has a specific say, but I feel like it’s part of my civic duty and something I should do.

Houtler-McCoy, currently pregnant, says that women’s rights and medical are among the reasons she supports Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Women’s rights, access to medical care, including up to abortion, if that is what is so decided and concerns on getting corporate tariffs (tax codes).”

— Adrienne Davis

Milwaukee’s south side voters concerned about inflation, women’s rights rights

At Morgandale School, poll worker Omar Baberena is helping translate for Spanish-speaking voters.

When the polling station opened in the morning, Barberena said he saw around 60 people already in line. He also felt encouraged to see many non-English speakers vote today.

Voters are concerned about a variety of issues.

David Schopf, 51, a small business owner, decided he’d vote for Donald Trump.

He says the increased gas prices have caused strain for his business and his life at home.

Schopf is also excited to see what the alliance between Elon Musk and Donald Trump brings.

Elizabeth Perdomo, 52, recently started a business to provide resources to survivors of domestic violence. As the child of a Nicaraguan political refugee, Perdomo is deeply disturbed by Trump’s rhetoric toward Latino immigrants.

For her, Harris is the candidate who would protect women’s rights and provide economic opportunities to the middle and lower class.

At the end of the hall, middle school teachers Michelle Benn and Karen Brandt-Johnston are selling baked goods to help raise funds for students at Morgandale.

They both plan to vote after work.

“I think everybody needs to vote,” Benn said. “That’s a right you have, and you need to utilize that.

— Eva Wen

Perhaps the one thing people of all political standpoints can agree on this election season is that these candidate ads need to stop.

On Election Day, we’ll finally get our wish. Some local TV stations have announced the final political ads will run on their broadcasts Tuesday evening.

WTMJ-TV (channel 4) announced the final political ad is scheduled to run on the station at 4:58 p.m. Tuesday.

The final political ad on WDJT-TV (channel 58) is scheduled to run during the news broadcast at 4 p.m. Tuesday, said Corporate Director of Media Strategy Molly Kelly. The last one on Telemundo Wisconsin is scheduled to run during the show’s 5 p.m. news broadcast.

A representative from WISN-TV (channel 12) did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.

— Steve Martinez

Election observers from other countries are visiting Wisconsin polling locations through European democracy group

Two election observers from Sweden, along with observers from six other countries, were at polling places across the state to observe the U.S. election Tuesday.

The foreign visitors were here on behalf of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), a group formed after the Cold War to uplift democracy and stabilize relations across nations by engaging in political dialogue. Today, the group is made up of members from 57 countries in Europe, Asia and North America. 

The Swedish visitors, Carina Odebrink and Kadir Kasirga, are both members of the Swedish parliament. They were visiting polling locations at different north shore suburbs Tuesday.

“We just observe. We don’t interfere. We follow the form and check out if everything is functioning like it should be,” Odebrink said.

Odebrink said a group of about 140 members came for a convention in Washington D.C. on Thursday and then dispersed throughout the country to observe the 2024 election.

In Wisconsin, Odebrink said OSCE members from seven countries were observing voting across the state: Sweden, Poland, Germany, San Marino, Canada, Denmark and Czechia.

This was her 13th time observing another country’s election, and third time in the U.S. She said just two weeks prior she was in the country of Georgia observing its election.

She said what she found most unique about U.S. election was how the voting process can vary from state to state.

“In Sweden, we have the same system all over the country. Here you don’t have that. It’s different in different states. That’s unique,” Odebrink said. “We are honored to be here and observe. It’s about democracy. It’s so touching to see so many dedicated poll workers.”

Odebrink and Kasirga had visited polling stations at the Bavarian Bierhaus, 700 W Lexington Blvd., Glendale, and Fox Point Police Department Tuesday. They were planning to visit a polling location in the town of Belgium Tuesday afternoon, and head to other polling locations until voting closes at 8 p.m. 

— Jordyn Noennig

Milwaukee Mayor Johnson stresses tabulation machines are not connected to Wi-Fi

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson posted a statement to X, formerly Twitter, stressing that Milwaukee’s tabulation machines are not connected to Wi-Fi.

“The idle speculation suggesting they are vulnerable is simply incorrect,” Johnson said. 

Peter Bernegger, a New London resident and 2020 election denier, posted screenshots to X questioning Verizon internet connections at the Baird Center, where Milwaukee is centrally counting its absentee ballots.

The city uses 13 machines to count its absentee ballots. The machines are not connected to the internet, and the results are downloaded onto a thumb drive and taken to Milwaukee County at the end of the night.

— Hope Karnopp

No Spanish-speaking poll workers in South Division High School until early afternoon

Voter turnout was unusually high at South Division High School in Milwaukee’s south side. By the early afternoon more than 107 voters cast their ballot, said Chief Election Inspector Freddie Franklin. He has been working this location for 10 years and said it was one of the highest voter turnouts that he has seen. The voters were a mix of new registered voters and veteran voters. Franklin said a lot of the new voters were older citizens with a few younger first-time voters.

“It’s hard to say what is driving in people’s minds to come out and vote, but clearly, all of the communication…that’s gone out about how important voting is has made an impact,” he said. “I’ve worked at this location 10 years, and I haven’t seen the volume like this since Obama.”

Despite having one of the largest concentrations of Latino voters, there were no Spanish-speaking poll workers at South Division High School until around 1 p.m. By 2 p.m., at least four translators were present.

The Spanish-speaking poll worker was called after election observers with Voces De La Frontera Action raised concerns when they saw a woman struggling to communicate with election staff.

Imelda Montes, 56, was visiting from Mexico and trying to help both of her elderly parents — who live in Milwaukee— register to vote. She struggled to communicate and at one point called someone to translate.

Ruby De Leon, an in-house attorney with Voces de La Frontera said the lack of Spanish speakers in such a densely Latino-populated polling location was concerning.

“This is the middle of the south side,” said De Leon.  “I would expect there to be (at least) one person here that could speak Spanish.”

While several poll observers wanted to step in to help, poll observers are not allowed to approach voters.

“It’s concerning,” she said.  “Very much, just because I would say most people that walked in today spoke Spanish. A lot of them are bilingual, but those elderly individuals are the ones who are most worried about not getting that help that they need.”

— Jessica Rodriguez

‘The process is safe. The process is secure’: Milwaukee Mayor Johnson appears at Central Count

Shortly before 1 p.m., the City of Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson made an appearance at downtown’s Central Count as election workers continued to process ballots.

“The process is safe. The process is secure. Always has been in Milwaukee, will continue to be in Milwaukee,” said Johnson of the election process. “We want to make sure that this is a safe, transparent, fair election just as we always have in the City of Milwaukee, and voters should have that confidence as they cast their ballots in the City.”

— Vanessa Swales

No signs of voter intimidation at several Milwaukee south-side polls

Officials at several polling places on Milwaukee’s largely Hispanic south side have not seen any instances of voter intimidation so far.

Rohan de Silva, the chief inspector at the Don & Sallie Davis Boys & Girls Club, said there have been no incidents of voter intimidation or other issues as of 10 a.m. Tuesday.

“We’ve been better prepared than ever,” he said.

Robert Levine, chief inspector at OASIS Senior Center, didn’t report any issues either. There were five election observers at the polling place around 9:30 a.m. from various groups. But no ballot challenges had been made, he said.

Leading up to the election, some advocates in the Latino community expressed concern about possible voter intimidation, following claims by presidential candidate Donald Trump and other Republicans about noncitizens voting.

There were two election observers, one Democrat and one Republican at Zablocki Library in the morning, said Linda Leaf, the chief inspector there. No ballot challenges had been made, she said.

Other than a line at 7 a.m. when polls opened, Zablocki Library has seen a steady pace of voters, Leaf said.

“It’s been going pretty well,” she said.

— Sarah Volpenhein

At Craig Montessori in Milwaukee, daytime turnout is higher than previous elections

At Craig Montessori in Milwaukee, 370 voters had cast their ballots by 12:45 p.m. and 84 voters registered.

Rapture Robertson, the polling location’s Chief Inspector, said that turnout was significantly higher than average for the usually sleepy neighborhood polling location.

“At this time of day, it’s usually around 70 people,” she said.

Felisa Underwood and her daughter, Brandi, came to vote on Tuesday afternoon, but only one of them was able to cast a ballot.

Brandi did not know that she needed to vote in the ward she lived rather than at her mother’s polling location.

“Ain’t nobody got the time, you got work, you got kids, it’s like it was now or never,” she said.

Her mother voted for Kamala Harris because she cares most about reproductive issues, resources for families and lowering taxes. She was able to cast her ballot within five minutes of arriving.

Quita Holland, 38, was one of a dozen voters who ambled into the polling location around 12:30 on Tuesday.

She cast her ballot for Vice President Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

“I have two daughters, so women’s rights was my priority,” she said.

Across the street from the polling location, two canvassers from Power to the Polls were door-knocking homes in the neighborhood and trying to convince voters to vote on Election Day.

Courtney Williams, one of the Power to the Polls organizers, said that he had spoken to seven voters so far. Some were leaning toward supporting Harris while others were still undecided.

— Tamia Fowlkes

Voters have smooth experience at UW-Madison

Claire Swanson, 18, described her first presidential voting experience as fun. The definition of “fun” runs the gamut on a large college campus like University of Wisconsin-Madison, but she said what made it fun was being able to understand policies and vote for candidates who align with her values.

Swanson, a freshman majoring in biomedical engineering, felt well-prepared for voting this year and, if anything surprised her, it was how smooth it went.

Some of that is due to the convenience of on-campus voting print stations, organized by Shelby Fosco, co-curricular programs manager at the Morgridge Center for Public Service. Fosco has been helping students print out voter IDs and informing them of what to bring with them to vote. For first-timers like Swanson, that information proves crucial for smooth-sailing.

“Students are moving through the lines quickly. They’re coming prepared,” Fosco said. “Campus has made big efforts to communicate and get students to the right place.”

As Fosco stood at the Vote Here sign at Memorial Union, her plastic, election-themed earrings swung. She’s been wearing them for two weeks, and has various types. Today, she wore two mismatched earrings, one of a red voter box and the other with an America flag. No matter which side you catch her on, you’ll see the words VOTE.

“Anything to like feel more approachable and to have students feel comfortable to ask questions, too,” Fosco said.

— Natalie Eilbert

Marquette students cast their votes

Music was playing from an unmanned DJ booth outside of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning in Milwaukee, one of two major polling places for Marquette University students.Around noon, a long line of about 50 people, many students wearing Marquette gear, waited in the hallway to vote in the gymnasium. Lines extended into the gym.Lines have been long at the site all day, but they “come in bursts,” one election official said.“We’re kind of slammed,” another added.Chief polling captain Brenda Reed said 301 people have voted at the site as of noon. The majority had registered on-site and are students. She said many are first-time voters.As voters left the gymnasium, WCLL volunteers handed out free churros and kringle to “thank them for voting.” Students were excited to receive the treats.Lines were more modest at the other major Marquette polling place, the Alumni Memorial Union, where voters cast their ballots in a third-floor ballroom.The chief polling captain, Matt, who declined to provide his last name, said exactly 900 people had voted at the Union as of 12:45 p.m.

— Claire Reid

West Bend voters ‘happy,’ ‘relieved’

People who voted in West Bend left the polling places saying they were “happy” and “relieved” they voted. There were no lines at the City Hall, Washington County Government Center and the West Bend Community Public Library this morning.

According to City Office Clerk Office Technician Brianna Kramer, about 10,500 absentee ballots were submitted. She estimated there are over 18,000 registered voters for the City of West Bend.

At the county offices, people were in and out for an average of 21 minutes. But for this West Bend man, Daniel Agee, 53, said he likes the atmosphere and the responsibility of doing its civic duty on Election Day.

“Voting is always on Election Day for me,” Agee said. “I believe today is an important, if not the most important election.”

West Bend voter Greg Bohn, who also voted at the Washington County Government Center, echoed the importance of this election.

“We need to vote. I am getting closer to retirement. This will affect me,” Bohn said. “This election is important, and it will be what matters in four years.”

— Cathy Kozlowicz

‘We’re doing great’: 31,500 votes cast and 106,700 absentee ballots returned in Milwaukee

As of 12:06 p.m., 96 of the 180 polling locations across the City of Milwaukee have reported 31,500 votes cast, and roughly 106,700 absentee ballots returned, according to Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Paulina Gutiérrez.

Gutiérrez explained that the tabulators are just starting to “get into the flow,” and at the time of the press conference, she reported that they had counted over 4,000 ballots Central Count. 

“We’re doing great … no concerns here,” she said, despite the slightly later start time earlier this morning.

And, Gutiérrez said it will be a late night, with an expectation of 2 a.m. or 3 a.m., but as the day progresses, a more definite time will become available.

“It’s hard to tell. We can’t read the tea leaves,” she said.

Gutiérrez said Election Day has been running smoothly; she hadn’t heard of any challenges made at Central Count or any of the polling places.

She also described long lines of voters as well as those registering to vote across Milwaukee. With “a lot of activity,” she asked voters to be patient.

— Vanessa Swales

Don’t share personal information on the phone, WEC chair warns

Ann Jacobs, the chair of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, said on social media that WEC has gotten reports of phone calls asking for voters’ personal information, like a date of birth or driver’s license number, in order to process an absentee ballot. 

Don’t give out your personal information, Jacobs said. Your clerk may call you if your absentee ballot was rejected and you need to go to your clerk’s office to fix it. The clerk would not ask for your personal information over the phone, she said. 

You can track the status of your absentee ballot, including whether your completed absentee ballot was received, at myvote.wi.gov.

— Hope Karnopp

A young Milwaukee student votes Harris, despite family concerns

Lauren Foust, 20, said she voted for Harris at the Maryland Avenue Montessori School in Milwaukee around noon. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student said she voted for Democrats due to her support of reproductive rights and after conversations with her roommates.

She said being a student on campus helped her feel more informed about down-ballot races.

Foust said she comes from a conservative family and that gave her some internal pause, but it didn’t sway her vote ultimately.

“It was pretty clear to me,” she said.

— David Clarey

Memorial Union at UW-Madison slower than 2020

Election Day in 2020 had Izzie Behl, one of the chief inspections officers at the UW-Madison, running ragged. She busied herself sanitizing screens and pens, enforcing social distancing and helping to process large bundles of absentee ballots. Tuesday, Behl had some November jitters, but, by comparison, it’s been surprisingly smooth.

When Memorial Union opened its doors to voters at 7 a.m., Behl and her team registered 52 new voters in the first hour, adding to the 1,100 registered voters at this campus polling location. It’s a marked shift from previous election years, where typically she’s seen one to four voters do same-day registration.

Behl expects that about half of all people voting will register Tuesday.

The first hour also had the biggest rush, Behl said. By 10 a.m., 136 people voted, including same-day registration voters. The morning was also spent processing about 60 absentee ballots.

Behl said there tend to be lulls throughout the day. Students mill in and out between classes. The biggest rush, she said, will likely occur around 4:30 p.m.

— Natalie Eilbert

DJs at the polls hope to encourage voting

Outside of the Maryland Avenue Montessori School on Milwaukee’s East Side, Lindsay Jones, 44, set up a DJ table to play music at about noon.

A former election official, Jones said he was passionate about encouraging the community to vote. Jones intended to play “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift for his first song.

He was encouraged by his wife, Elle Bonze Jones, who works at Milwaukee Area Technical College, to do the DJ program this year.

“We can’t tell people who to vote for, but we want them to vote,” Jones said.

Jones planned to head to another poll to play music at 3 p.m. and had a waterproof, ready-to-go cover for his tech in case rain returned to Milwaukee.

— David Clarey

Young poll worker in Wauwatosa can’t vote yet, but her dad just cast his first ballot

Liliana Medina, a 16-year-old student at Wauwatosa East, was manning the door and directing voters as a poll worker Tuesday at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church across the street from her high school. It’s her second election serving in the capacity after helping in April.

“My friend was in a law and society class and there was some kind of flier for student poll workers,” she said. “She sent me the link and said I should sign up, so I did.”

Though Medina can’t cast her own ballot, she was able to witness a family milestone just days earlier when her father, a native of Mexico, became an official U.S. citizen.

“I went with him to his naturalization and then, a few hours later, we went to one of the early absentee voting locations and he voted for the first time.”

The Wauwatosa school district didn’t hold classes on Election Day.

Up the road at Wauwatosa City Hall, Crystal Nelson was one of the first voters through.

“I was nervous,” she said of the voting process. “I read the whole page like I was in school, put my glasses on, ‘Oh my God, oh my God.’”

Nelson said she voted for Harris.

“I really do think she’s for everybody,” she said. “It’s not trying to separate us anymore, even though we know that’s out there. She’s still trying to bring some of us who’s got the sense together. That kind of touched my heart.”

Erin Oberg was the first voter in her ward, arriving at 5:45 a.m.

“I want to be that person to see my ballot get scanned,” she said. “I get the green light, and I get the sticker. I want to make sure my vote counts.”

Oberg said she voted for Harris on account of women’s rights.

“I just don’t think Trump has the morals for a presidential candidate,” she said. “I think we need to go in the right direction, and that would be Kamala Harris.”

Chris Wisniewski, who voted at St. Matthew’s, pulled in at 6:45 a.m. and made it through in 45 minutes. He also voted for Harris.

“I just feel she’s better for the people and better for the every-day Americans, just for regular people. I think there’s more at stake this time around.”

Jamie Turnbull also said she was voting for Harris, citing issues related to women’s rights. She arrived right at 7 a.m. and was out in less than 45 minutes.

“I would say the last election felt a little more stressful on the day of,” she said, referring to 2020.

— JR Radcliffe

Almost 400 people vote at Maryland Avenue Montessori

Claire Moore, chief of the polling place at the Maryland Avenue Montessori School on Milwaukee’s East Side, said the polling place was busy to start the day. She said they’re sharing the polling site with another poll, which is closed due to construction.

Moore said 399 people had voted around 11:30, with a handful of others in line to vote.

— David Clarey

First-time voters cast ballots at UW-Milwaukee

UW-Milwaukee students, many voting for the first time, stopped by the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center on Kenwood Boulevard to cast their ballots.

The polling place had no lines at 10:15 a.m., and co-chief polling captain Sam Leichtling said there had not yet been “excessive lines” despite a “steady pace” of voters throughout the morning. Still, a tent was set up outside the door to protect voters from rain in the forecast should lines get long.

As of 10:20 a.m., Leichtling said about 250 people had voted and around 100 had registered on-site. Throughout the mid-morning, many students asked election officials how and if they could register.

Two wards report to the Lubar Center polling place, one representing UWM dorms and the other a mix of students and community members, Leichtling said. He said there have been no problems at the site, and voters are excited. Four election observers from “a variety of organizations” have signed in at the site as of mid-morning, he added.

Evan Devine, a sophomore and first-time voter, said he was glad he voted and is excited to do so again.

“I have a girlfriend, and that’s important to me,” he said. “She deserves her rights.”

Freshmen roommates Ceadaoin Snell and Anastasia Sutterfield were also voting for the first time. Both students said they voted for Harris. Sutterfield, who uses they/them pronouns, said they were encouraged to vote because they didn’t want Trump to be president.

The roommates said they’d be looking forward to their first time voting for a while. “We had this on the books,” said Sutterfield, who added they’ve been accompanying their mom to the polls for many years.

— Claire Reid

Avoid getting rain drops on ballots, Dane County clerk says

If it’s raining or drizzling while you’re standing in line at the polls, try to dry off a little bit before handling a ballot, Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell advised voters on social media.

“Make sure your ballot does not get any drops of water on it. Voting machines work best on dry ballots,” he said. “Avoid dripping on your ballot!”

The latest forecast from the National Weather Service shows lines of showers and storms moving through Wisconsin this afternoon and ending around 6 p.m. in the eastern part of the state. Polls are open until 8 p.m. in Wisconsin.

— Hope Karnopp

Brookfield voters in key Waukesha County head to the polls

Combined, the Town and City of Brookfield cast 55% of its votes for Trump over Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Located in Waukesha County, it’s on the map of key tipping points to watch in this election.

“I think Brookfield is a wonderful place, I don’t think there’s any contention,” said voter Jenny Meza, who cast her ballot for Trump at Brookfield Central High School on Tuesday. “We’re a neighborly community. We see signs for both candidates but, rest assured, if there was a fire at the neighbor’s house and a different political sign in the yard, the residents of Brookfield would still help every single person.

“I don’t think there’s any division in Brookfield, or at least I haven’t experienced that. I think by trying to advertise that there could be division is division in and of itself. I think Brookfield’s a wonderful community.”

Meza, who’s expecting her third child in January, said she enjoys the atmosphere of the polling place.

“I love paper ballots and I like to be able to have the control of actually placing it in the machine and knowing my vote is counting.”

Kate Dwyer brought her sleeping 8-week old daughter, Adeline, to the polling place at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts. Dwyer said the biggest issue that concerned her in this election was border control.

“I have a couple of brothers that live in Denver, Colorado, and they’re talking all the time about how bad it is there with the amount of crime that’s gone up,” she said. “And just for (Adeline’s) safety, to be honest with you. That’s really all it came down to. I need her to be safe, and the border has not been taken care of the past four years, and that scares me.”

For Ted and Pat, both in their early 70s and residents of Brookfield since 1980, a vote for Trump came down to the candidate they felt was more competent to handle the job.

“His opponent just hasn’t demonstrated any competence whatsoever in her entire career,” Ted said.

There’s also a sense of relief that the election season is nearly over. Pat said she wasn’t sure she’d be watching the election coverage late into the night.

“We’ve seen so much,” she said with a laugh. “I don’t know if we want to see anymore.”

“I really wish the government would set aside x number of dollars for each candidate,” Ted said of campaign spending. “Nobody’s allowed to spend any more (than that). Take your best shot with equal time.”

Catherine Rose, a 15-year resident of Brookfield, cast her vote for Democrats.

“The Republican Party has become very divisive and angry,” she said. “I know Democrats can be that way too, but when Kamala was here and Trump was here, their messages were so different, and I don’t like the division. I generally vote Libertarian, but I just do not want to see the division we have for another four years.”

Charles Zhang, 60, and his son, Andrew, 25, came to the polls at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, and it was Andrew’s first time voting, drawn in by the presidential race.

“I feel like too much (one side) attacks the other side without a conversation on real issues, how to grow and move forward,” said Charles, who didn’t want to reveal for whom he voted.

Inside the Arts Center, things were relatively quiet and smooth by 8 a.m. after a surge of 150 voters at 7 a.m. Poll chief Tom Jansen said he usually oversees four staffers counting absentee voters, but this time the count is up to eight, with 62% of registered voters in Brookfield already casting their ballot before Tuesday.

“We keep experienced people with new people,” he said. “Today is my first day having a lot more new people, so I make sure they’re with an experienced person. At the beginning of the day, we make sure to say, ‘Any questions, just ask.’ There are no bad questions. Most people really enjoy doing this. It’s a civic service.”

— JR Radcliffe

At Ninety Fifth Street School, turnout and same-day registration numbers are high

By 11 a.m. Tuesday, over 400 voters had cast their ballots at Ninety Fifth Street School in Milwaukee.

Poll workers registered more than 86 voters, which Chief Election Inspector Joe Hasler said was a fairly high number compared to recent local and midterm elections.

David Fell, 70, said that the lines moved quickly and he made it in and out of the polling location with ease Tuesday. Though he didn’t share who he voted for, Fell said, he wants to see the country get back on track.

“Wild spending has to stop,” he said.

Jakira Lucas, 21, said she voted for Harris.

“I feel like she is really gonna stand on business and do what she said she’s gonna do,” Lucas said.

She said, after months of hearing both candidates share their platforms, she did not feel like Trump would care for all people or adequately serve her community.

“I feel like he got his picks on who he cares about and who he is gonna try to do something for. That’s not somebody I want in office.”

Adrienne Jones, 52, shared similar sentiments, stating that she felt Harris would deliver on women’s rights and equality issues.

— Tamia Fowlkes

Voters learning to get along on differences

Sarah Johnson voted this morning at the Humane Society of Wisconsin polling site on West Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee.

Johnson said she voted for Trump out of concern for the economy and the southern border.

“I think there should be immigrants here but not an open border,” she said.

Johnson said she’s been interested in politics since she was a child and thinks that people need to learn to put aside their differences some and get along better. “I think there are a lot of things we can agree on,” she said.

“We need to humanize each other more,” she said, and not assume someone’s a bad person because of their politics. 

— Rick Barrett

Becher Terrace Apartments remained quiet most of the morning

Becher Terrace Apartments on 1800 W. Becher St. in Milwaukee was quiet most of the morning, with the longest lines at the first hour the poll were open.

Miguel Angel Rodriguez, 82, said he was voting for Harris.

“Voting is a sacred act for me,” he said. “I served this country for 13 years and I think any Puerto Rican-American needs a candidate that is not only going elevate the economy but a strong president that can stand up to the enemies we have,” he said in Spanish.

Rodriguez said it was important for him to vote because he believes communities should have a voice.

Rodriguez served in the Army from 1967 to 1970.

“I love this country and I was willing to give my life for it,” he said.

Stephanie Manuel, 22, was proud to hold up her “I voted” sticker.

“I’m a daughter of immigrants and I believe that I should be able to vote for them, to be a voice for them, she said. “It’s very important for my future and for their future.”

Manuel’s family emigrated from Mexico 24 years ago. Tuesday was her second time voting in a presidential election.

The most important issues for her are women’s rights and immigration.

“Since (my family) can’t vote, I think through me I am able to vote for them and I am able to be their voice, especially for this election,” she said. 

— Jessica Rodriguez

Greenfield polling sites sees strong early turnout

Greenfield poll workers reported a strong morning turnout, and voters said things were running smoothly.

One polling site, Adoration Lutheran Church. had a couple people waiting before voting started at 7 a.m., said chief inspector Bonnie Konop.

Meanwhile, the early morning rush from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. at the Greendale Community Center was stronger than previous elections, said chief inspector Devan Gracyalny.

At both sites, as well at Greendale Public Library, voters said their waits in line were relatively brief.

Joan Szyba, a Trump voter, said her main issues are the economy and border security.

“He’s the best leader,” Szyba said. “He’s not afraid of anything.

Harris voter Amber Jackson said “basic rights” was her main issue.

“Not only am I a woman of color, I’m also a member of the LGBTQ community,” Jackson said. “The last time we had a certain someone as president, that didn’t go too well.”

— Tom Daykin

Two-thirds of Mequon voters turned in absentee where voting is ‘going smoothly’

Mequon’s city hall and library voting centers were quiet Tuesday morning as voters trickled in on Election Day, where about two-thirds of registered voters had already turned in absentee ballots.

The city of Mequon had just over 12,000 ballots turned in as of Tuesday morning, out of just under 19,000 registered voters.

The city had just 313 unreturned absentee ballots as of Tuesday morning, according to the city clerk’s office.

Martin said that the number of absentee ballots was the unusual factor, though it was comparable to the amount of absentee ballots used in 2020.

“We had a steady line for the first half hour, but people really waited only 10 or 15 minutes,” Martin said. “Since then it’s just been a steady stream. It’s been going smoothly.”

As of 9:30 a.m., about 200 people had voted in person.

— Jordyn Noennig

Many new voters on the west side of Milwaukee

By around 10 a.m., more people had voted at the Wisconsin Humane Society polling site on West Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee than would have voted in an entire day in some previous elections, said polling site Chief Alli Williams.

“We’ve had a lot of new registrants,” she said.

There were four election observers at the site and the voting had gone smoothly, according to Williams. 

— Rick Barrett

After delay at Milwaukee Central Count, Wolfe says clerks have to work within parameters of the law

After a 45-minute delay to begin counting absentee ballots at Milwaukee’s central count location, Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe noted clerks “have to work within the parameters of our law.”

“It certainly seems like, if we did have laws that were a little bit different, that allowed pre-processing like the majority of other states, that potentially we could have unofficial results earlier in the evening,” Wolfe said.

Under current law, clerks can’t begin to process absentee ballots until 7 a.m. on Election Day. A bipartisan bill to allow processing to begin one day earlier failed in the Republican-controlled state Senate.

Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Paulina Gutiérrez previously said she expects a late night, with absentee results likely coming in after midnight.

— Hope Karnopp

Poll chaplains in Kenosha and Racine say the morning has been ‘easy breezy’

There has been a “steady stream” of people casting votes at the Gateway Technical College in Kenosha, according to Rev. Thomas Poole, senior pastor at Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church in Racine.

Rev. Thomas Poole is the social action director for the Wisconsin churches in the Milwaukee district of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and a poll chaplain through Faiths United to Save Democracy, a non-partisan organization aimed at increasing voter turnout.

He estimated that roughly 100 people have cast their vote this morning.

At Festival Park Hall in Racine, the morning has been “easy breezy,” said Rev. R.J. Poole, executive pastor at Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church in Racine.

When Rev. R.J. Poole first arrived at the voting site, there was a line of roughly 50 people ready to vote and it’s been steady since then.

So far, she said the energy has been positive and a number of people have told her they are first-time voters.

“It’s really, really good to see that people are coming out to vote,” she said.

— Caitlin Looby

In Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood, new registrations receive cheers

Married couple Mary Newby and Liam Santini, both 30, said they were pleased with the “great” voting experience in Gordon Park in Milwaukee. Newby said people who registered to vote received cheers.

“I feel good about making our voices heard,” Newby said.

The two voted Democratic and said they felt confident in Baldwin’s chances to prevail over Hovde, whom Santini said was a clear outsider.

Both said they were more nervous about the presidential outcome, but hoped Harris would win.

“We’re ready to see the chapter of Trump come to a close,” Newby said.

— David Clarey

Hundreds of election workers and observers at Milwaukee Central Count

Roughly 100 election observers have signed in to be present at Central Count on Tuesday morning, according to a Milwaukee Election Commission spokesperson. Observers with both the GOP and Democratic Party are listed, along with many Independents.

The spokesperson also reported that there are a little over 200 election workers registered to work today.

Earlier in the morning, Milwaukee Election Commission Deputy Director Bonnie Chang shared there was a printing error with the inspector statement issued and has asked the incorrect date to be crossed out and replaced with Nov. 5.

— Vanessa Swales

Riverwest mother says supporting Israel is her top issue

Marnie Atias, 45, voted with her two kids Talia and Moshe in tow on Tuesday Gordon Park in Milwaukee.

She said Israel was her No. 1 issue, both supporting the country and its people locally and in the country. Atias declined to share who she was voting for, saying it was choosing between “the lesser of two evils.”

Atias’s children and their future were top of mind as well when she voted, she said.

“I feel like both candidates were not right for the job,” she said.

— David Clarey

Women’s rights on the ballot this election

Stephanie Tesch, 33, who voted on Milwaukee’s west side Tuesday morning, said women’s rights are the most important issue for her this presidential election, so she voted for Harris.

She said she’s disturbed by how Trump and his party have been working to move the country backward on this issue.

“It’s just the audacity for them to have our rights back on the ballot,” Tesch said.

— Frank Vaisvilas

Trinity Methodist Church in Madison promises sweet treats after voting

When voters enter Trinity Methodist Church on Madison’s west side to cast their vote, they’ll be welcomed by a smorgasbord of homemade baked goods.

“Go vote and then get your little treat,” the Trinity Methodist Church members say by way of greeting.

Most of the baked goods come from members of Trinity Methodist Church, said Steven Bloyd, a church member. Each presidential election year, chocolate chip cookies, orange poppyseed muffins and bags of caramel corn accompany the civic duty to vote.

— Natalie Eilbert

Quick voting at Milwaukee Riverwest’s Gordon Park

In Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood, long lines initially marked the start of voting at the Gordon Park polling place.

Poll chief Noël Ash said she had never seen something like it before at a poll.

“It was really crazy,” Ash said.

By 9:30 a.m., that line was gone and voters moved freely in and out.

Among those was Sara Sowell and Bennett Westling, both 32, who voted for Harris, despite some reservations toward her political stances.

Sowell and Westling both cited dissatisfaction with the Democrat’s stance on the war in Gaza, immigration and attitude towards progressive platforms.

Westling said he didn’t like the way Harris handled the uninstructed movement, a political campaign of voters displeased with the Israel-Hamas War and its impact on Palestinians. In Wisconsin’s presidential primaries, the campaign received 8.3% of votes

However, the two voters reasoned it was easier to work with Harris on these issues than Trump.

“We live in a swing state, so it’s very important,” Sowell said.

— David Clarey

Climate change top of mind for UW-Madison grad student

Cameron Jones, 22, waited outside Trinity United Methodist Church on Madison’s west side as his boyfriend finished voting. He felt very good about casting a vote for Harris-Walz, although he’s cautious.

This is Jones’ second time voting in a presidential election and his priorities have remained the same: Climate change is top of mind for Jones, a graduate student working toward his Ph.D. in statistics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also has a vested interest in education, as he hopes to pursue a career in teaching.

“There was a referendum in there about increasing funding for STEM classrooms and facilities and such, so I was happy to vote yes for that,” Jones said.

Although Jones feels cautious optimism, he also knows he lives in a “homogenous blue zone.” But growing up in Waukesha, which has historically voted Republican, optimism tends to be informed by those homogenous areas.

“Where my parents are from, back in Waukesha, that’s a very red area,” Jones said. “I feel like both groups are feeling confident because of where they are. And of course, one of us is going to be wrong.”

— Natalie Eilbert

‘Very quiet. Nothing exciting’: WEC Chairwoman Ann Jacobs at Milwaukee Central Count

Among election observers at Central Count was Wisconsin Elections Commission Chairwoman Ann Jacobs, who’s one of the Democratic members of the bipartisan panel and served at the helm during the contested 2020 presidential election.

When asked how Election Day has been going so far, Jacobs said: “It’s as boring as ever. I love to see it. Very quiet. Nothing exciting.”

Jacobs said that unless something “very unusual” happens she plans to stay at Central Count until mid to late afternoon.

— Vanessa Swales

At Milwaukee School of Languages, nearly 300 voters cast their ballot

Around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, voters steadily flowed into the Milwaukee School of Languages to cast their ballots.

The school is closed for Election Day, and the voting lines and booths have consistently served eight to 10 voters.

“About 280 people have voted so far,” Chief Elections Inspector Stanley Knox said.

Shari Briggs, 39, entered the polling location Tuesday sporting a striped pink and green blouse. She belongs to the same sorority as Harris, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, and said that she was casting her ballot for “human decency.”

“My No. 1 priority is my rights and moving this country forward. A country that will be good for all of its citizens, not just a select few,” she said.

— Tamia Fowlkes

Madison’s west side sees big morning turnout

Before she even got to the Trinity Methodist Church on Madison’s west side at 7 a.m., Jacqueline Houtman, the polling location’s chief election inspector, saw the line. About 40 people stood outside the church eager to cast their vote.

So far, turnout has been bigger than Houtman’s ever seen, and she’s been volunteering on and off since the Bush-Gore presidential election of 2000. Of the 1,200 voters registered to vote at Trinity Methodist Church, Houtman and her volunteers also have 500 absentee ballots from both early voting and mail-in to process before the end of the day.

By Houtman’s estimation, by 9 a.m., an hour since opening, they already had around 100 people vote. The line’s moving pretty quickly, she said.

Her biggest qualm so far, beyond one small hiccup with a machine jamming, is the humidity. 

“It’s not even 9 a.m. and I’m already on my second shirt,” Houtman said, before racing away to help register a new voter.

— Natalie Eilbert

Voting ‘smooth and fast’ Tuesday morning on Milwaukee’s west side

Stephanie Tesch, 33, who’s voted in several elections, said Tuesday morning this was probably the fastest process she’s experienced for a presidential election.

Other voters and the poll worker confirmed that the voting process has been relatively fast and smooth at several polling sites on the west side of Milwaukee.

Cal Stanke, chief inspector judge at the polling site at the Milwaukee Spanish Immersion School-Upper Campus, said there was a line of about 50 people waiting before the polls opened there, which includes Wards 253 and 254.

After the line was cleared in less than 30 minutes, there have been no long lines here or at several other polling sites on the west side throughout the morning.

— Frank Vaisvilas

Milwaukee Central Count off to a slow start

Just before 9 a.m., Milwaukee Election Commission Deputy Director Bonnie Chang announced that election workers may begin, to follow a slight delay in operations.

Dozens of election observers filed into the main conference room at the Baird Center, where they began walking and gathering around each of the 13 tabulation areas.

— Vanessa Swales

Election Day kicks off downtown at MSOE

The polls opened at Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Diercks Hall at 7 a.m., and students and community members filed inside amid the light, early morning rain.

At least 40 people were lined up inside around 7:45 a.m., though co-chief polling captain Jessica Haskell said lines had yet to be out the door. Haskell said the polling place has two poll observers and things have been “smooth” at the site.

Early morning voters at the site represented a mix of students, MSOE employees and community members. Many were hurrying to work or class after voting.

Atlas Hennegan, 24, of Milwaukee, said it was important to them to vote for their rights as a non-binary person with feminine anatomy.  

“I think that it’s really important that I continue to be able to have a choice, if I get pregnant, whether or not I give birth, and I also deserve medical rights as a non-binary person if I decide to transition,” Hennegan said.

Hennegan voted for Harris and said they agree with “most of what she stands for” but added, “I do believe in a free Palestine, and she does not.”

— Claire Reid

Shorewood polling site sees dozens in line, even though 60% of registered voters have already voted

Dozens of people were in line at the Shorewood Village Center as the polls opened at 7 a.m. Tuesday. 

Janet Kreilein, the chief inspector at the location, said there had been a “robust” turnout for early in-person and mail-in voting in Shorewood, with a total of about 6,700 village residents having voted early. That represents about 62% of the village’s registered voters, she said. 

“This morning, we’re seeing a lot of in-person registrations,” Kreilein added.

Shorewood, a village just north of Milwaukee, is considered an overwhelmingly Democratic area known for its high voter turnout. President Joe Biden won more than 80% of the vote in Shorewood in 2020.

Shorewood resident Paula Eichenbaum, 62, and her daughter Maya, 25, voted together not long after the polls opened Tuesday. Asked about the issues that brought her out to vote, Eichenbaum said she’s “pro-choice.”

“And voting for a presidential candidate that’s not a felon,” Eichenbaum added.

Eichenbaum said she was shocked when Trump won in 2016, and added that she’s “very nervous.” She plans to stay up to watch the election results.

“I won’t go to bed,”  Eichenbaum said. “I have tomorrow off because I knew I would stay up.”

Eichenbaum said she’s eager to see how different groups, such as young people, older people and women, voted.

Her daughter, Maya, said “freedom of choice” is also one of the issues that brought her to the polls.

“And it’s cool to vote for a woman this time,” Maya added.

Maya, who’s turning 26 on Thursday, said she’s also nervous.

“I hope my birthday is not like, sad, because of the election,” she said.

— Mary Spicuzza

On Milwaukee’s West Side, an RFK Jr. supporter votes for Trump

At the Oklahoma Avenue Lutheran Church polling site, in Milwaukee’s District 10, Gethsemane Vera said she supported former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on health care issues and voted for Trump because that’s what Kennedy would have wanted.

Vera said she’s in favor of a health care system that’s not so reliant on prescription drugs as the solution for most illnesses. Her grandmother has dementia and has to take 13 medications.

Vera doesn’t much care for politics.

“It’s kind of sad, really,” she said about the divided nature of our nation.

There was a line outside the building when the polling station opened, but less than an hour later, it was down to a handful of voters coming in at a time.

“It’s pretty normal for when they throw everything at you at 6 a.m. and expect you to be ready at 7,” said polling site chief Pat Love.

— Rick Barrett

Milwaukee Central Count bustles with dozens of election observers

Ahead of doors opening, dozens of election observers filed in line to sign in at Central Count at downtown Milwaukee’s Baird Center.

Election workers milled inside the conference room — home to 13 tabulators set to count ballots. Outside the main doors, one large group of election observers congregated as Jefferson Davis lead them in a prayer.

Davis, is a former Menomonee Falls village president who promoted false claims about the 2020 election and tried to overturn the results.

— Vanessa Swales

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