The number of ballots cast early in Madison for the Nov. 6 election will likely surpass numbers from the 2008 election, Mayor Paul Soglin said in a press conference Wednesday.
Receiving 2.8 votes per minute, Soglin said the city clerk’s office had received almost 20,300 early ballots including in-person and by-mail absentee votes by noon Wednesday, approaching the nearly 24,000 early votes that were cast four years ago.
The number of Madisonians to vote early in-person has already surpassed that in 2008, which Soglin said was almost 13,500. According to Thomas Lund, a municipal clerk with the city clerk’s office, the city had received 14,325 in-person ballots by Wednesday evening.
“I’m hoping that we as a city can and county continue to break all expectations, break all records in regards to turnout and demonstrate what a great city, state and nation this is,” Soglin said.
Although Wisconsin voters have experienced an emotional recent election with the recall election last June, Soglin said he is not worried that Madison voters are experiencing voter fatigue.
“I’m more worried about the negative ads that we see which are in part designed to suppress the vote,” he said.
Friday is the last chance for early in-person voting before Tuesday’s election.
“On Tuesday of next week, we’d like to get the highest percentage and total turnout in the history of the city,” Soglin said. “Madison has always excelled in terms of public participation … and we really would like to maintain that reputation.”
