In a controversial move, state GOP leaders have proposed to move the date of the 2020 presidential primary election so that it does not coincide with the state supreme court election.
By separating the dates of these respective elections, Democrats accuse Republicans of trying to improve their chances of holding onto a seat on the state’s highest court.
“They are concerned that their candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Justice Daniel Kelly, won’t win reelection if that contest is held on the same day as the April 2020 presidential primary, as it is currently scheduled,” said Matthew Rothschild, the executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. “They know that turnout is higher during presidential primaries, and that higher turnout helps the liberal candidate.”
Democrats fear the move is part of a larger effort to ensure that the policies passed under Gov. Scott Walker remain intact, culminating in the exiting governor signaling his potential support for reforms to limit the powers of Democratic Gov.-elect Tony Evers.
"We're not going to retreat," Walker said to reporters."The state of Wisconsin is not going to go backwards."
If the date of the presidential primary is successfully moved, Wisconsin voters would be required to go to the polls three separate times in 2020: February, March and April.
This poses a problem with poll staffing. Municipal clerks say recruiting enough poll workers is a difficult process for even just one election. Additionally, organizing three separate elections in consecutive months would likely cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
“Getting poll workers to come back three months in a row to work an additional election will put a real stress on municipal clerks,” Scott McDonald, Dane County clerk, said in a memo sent to state lawmakers, which was signed by 37 county clerks.
In addition to the political motive and likely substantial taxpayer cost behind the proposed date change, city officials are concerned about the bureaucratic headaches such a change may cause. With the elections occurring in such quick succession, city clerks would need to process absentee ballots from different elections simultaneously, creating higher possibility of miscounts.
"From my perspective, it would be virtually impossible for any county clerk to do all we need to get ready for an election in that scenario," Kathleen Novack, Waukesha County clerk, told reporters.
City clerks hope their concerns influence Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Sen. Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, both of whom are Walker aides. However, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan has urged Vos to not change the election schedule, citing potential election malfeasance.
"You don't change elections because you may not like the outcome, right?" Rep. Pocan said. "How much more ... third-world country can you get?"
Walker is able to sign off on any proposal during the lame duck session, but the clock is ticking on the 2020 election schedule. This proposal and others with similar interests will be discussed before powers are switched on Jan. 7.
