It’s Nov. 5, Election Day. Wisconsinites can head to the polls to cast their ballot at their designated polling location anytime between 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Need a refresher on what you need to successfully vote? Take a look at The Daily Cardinal’s voter guide.
Follow along for updates with The Daily Cardinal's election night live blog.
[1 a.m.]
By Anna Kleiber
The Daily Cardinal is signing off of the live blog tonight. We will resume coverage of race results tomorrow.
[12:20 a.m.] Vernon County goes for Trump
By Clara Strecker
Vernon County, one of Wisconsin’s four battleground counties, swung in favor of Trump by 1,282 votes. Trump won the county by 761 in 2020 and 633 in 2016.
[12:15 a.m.] Baldwin watch party ends before Senate results are called
By Iain Chang
Rodriguez addresses the few attendees left at the watch party saying Baldwin is still in a “good position” to win but says results will not be called until late into the night. The Baldwin watch party has concluded.
[12:03 a.m.] Incumbent Pfaff wins 32nd District state Senate
By Gabriella Hartlaub
The Associated Press called the 32nd Senate District for incumbent Sen. Brad Pfaff, D-Onalaska.
The district, represented by Pfaff since 2021, voted 54% Democratic in the 2020 election. Pfaff won with 53% of the vote, while his Republican challenger, Stacey Klein had 47% of the vote.
[12 a.m.]
By Sreejita Patra and Joseph Panzer
Dane County has overwhelmingly voted to exceed Madison Metro School District’s revenue limit and increase bonds to update school infrastructure at 95% turnout.
[11:50 p.m.] Trump wins Georgia
By Clara Strecker
The New York Times and CNN have called Georgia, a pivotal swing state, for Trump. Trump leads the state by 3% with 95% of precincts reporting.
[11:40 p.m.] Sauk goes for Trump
By Clara Strecker
Sauk County, one of Wisconsin’s four bellwether counties, swung in favor of Trump by 615 votes. Biden won the county by 602 in 2020. The county has accurately predicted the candidate to win Wisconsin in the last eight elections.
[11:09 p.m.] Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil wins Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District
By Alaina Walsh and Audrey Lopez-Stane
Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District was called for incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil. Steil defeated Democratic challenger Peter Barca and leads with 55.8% of the votes and about 40,000 more votes than Barca.
[11:05 p.m.] Harris trails Biden margin by 7 points near campus, 1.5 in Dane County
By Mary Bosch
— Mary Bosch (@Mary_Bosch6) November 6, 2024
Kamala Harris underperformed by 7 points on UW-Madison campus wards as compared to the 2020 election, according to an independent data analysis from the Daily Cardinal.
77.84% in 2024 as compared to 84.94% in 2020.
In Dane County she is underperforming Biden by 1.5 points.
[11:03 p.m.] Republicans flip U.S. Senate
By Nick Bumgardner
With flips in West Virginia and Ohio, Republicans will control the U.S. Senate in 2025, according to Reuters. The only question now is how big of a margin it will be. The races to watch: incumbent Democrats Jon Tester in Montana, Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin, Bob Casey in Pennsylvania, Jacky Rosen in Nevada and open races in Michigan and Arizona.
Dan Osborn, a left-leaning independent running in Nebraska, is also in a competitive race against incumbent Republican Deb Fischer.
[11 p.m.] Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District holds tight race
By Alaina Walsh and Audrey Lopez-Stane
With 80% of precincts reporting, Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden leads over Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke by 4.4%, one of the closest races in the country.
[10:57 p.m.] Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District elects Republican to fill vacancy
By Alaina Walsh and Audrey Lopez-Stane
Republican Tony Wied wins the 8th Congressional District seat after over six months of vacancy. Wied leads Democratic candidate Kristin Lyerly by 21.2% and over 53,000 votes.
[10:55 p.m.] Madison votes in favor of tax levy increases, mayor delivers remarks
By Sreejita Patra and Joseph Panzer
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway addressed reporters at City Hall to announce that the city’s referendum to increase levy limits has passed with 57.5% of the vote at 78.5% of precincts reporting. She does not anticipate that the city will have to go to referendum again for another five years if the referendum is passed.
“It’s my commitment to the community that we as the city of Madison — and hopefully in coalition with other cities around the state and other folks who care about cities — will work with the state Legislature to get the investment that we need from the state of Wisconsin into cities,” Rhodes-Conway said.
She also praised Dane County voters for “leading the way in the progressive vote in Wisconsin” by voting against the state referendum on excluding non-citizens from voting.
[10:55 p.m.] Statewide referendum passes
By Annika Bereny
Wisconsin's statewide referendum was called and the “yes” vote has won in a landslide with more than 70% of the vote.
The referendum would change the voting language from "every United States citizen [can vote]" to "only a United States citizen [can vote]."
Critics, such as the League of Women Voters of Dane County, have called the measure one that "lays the groundwork to assault the freedom to vote of eligible voters," adding that it will be used to suppress voter turnout.
[10:45 p.m.]
By Gavin Escott
UW-Madison junior Isabella Kim, studying abroad in London, said she was “nervous” watching the results because it didn’t appear enough votes were cast for Harris. Kim mailed in an absentee ballot to Wisconsin for her first election because “every vote counts, no matter where you are.”
She said many people she knew in London were “on the edge of their seats waiting for the results” and said a Trump victory, which multiple outlets were reporting as likely, would have global consequences.
“I know some people who work in business and they have even explained to me that their businesses are waiting for the results as it will affect how they go about their next plans for projects,” Kim said. “I also know there are many non-Americans who hope for the best and I am glad to see many people who would morally vote for Kamala if they could.”
[10:40 p.m.] Pocan, Rodriguez still optimistic about presidential, U.S. Senate race
By Iain Chang
U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan briefly appeared at Baldwin’s watch party to speak with attendees.
He told the Cardinal he thinks Baldwin’s numbers still look good and is confident she will edge out Hovde when the Milwaukee votes come in.
“She’s gonna be in a good place,” he said.
Additionally, Rodriguez addressed the tense crowd, saying Baldwin and Harris are still in “strong positions” to win Wisconsin.
“We know things are close,” she said. “We are hitting our marks here in Wisconsin.”
The watch party is beginning to die down as attendees begin to leave the venue.
[10:35 p.m.] Hovde leads Baldwin with two-thirds in
By Nick Bumgardner
With 68% of the vote in, Hovde leads Baldwin 49.8% to 48.1% statewide. Roughly half of Milwaukee County is still outstanding.
[10:21 p.m.] Trump wins North Carolina
By Tomer Ronen
The Associated Press has called North Carolina, a pivotal swing state, for Trump. Trump leads the state by 2.7% with 89% of precincts reporting.
[10:15 p.m.]
By Gavin Escott
The College Democrats Executive Board is feeling “optimistic” at a watch party, College Democrats Communications Director Whitman Bottari told the Cardinal.
“There are hundreds of thousands of votes left to be counted in Wisconsin, and we believe that there are a great number of Wisconsinite who support Senator Baldwin and Vice President Harris,” Whitman said. “We’re watching the count optimistically and very hopeful for what we hear out of Milwaukee.”
Milwaukee is recounting roughly 31,000 ballots due to a tabulation issue, with election officials anticipating a delay in final results. As of 10:15 p.m., Trump is leading Harris 51% to 48% in Wisconsin, with over 67% of the vote counted.
[10:10 p.m.]
By Clara Strecker
With 99% of precincts reporting in Door County, Harris leads Trump by 2.3%. Door County is a bellwether county, accurately predicting the outcome of the last six presidential elections. In 2020, President Joe Biden defeated Trump in the county by 292 votes.
[10:05 p.m.] Hovde, Trump on course for historically poor performance in Waukesha County
By Nick Bumgardner
With 96.2% of the vote reported in Waukesha County, Trump leads Harris at 58.6%, and Hovde leads Baldwin at 59.4%. No Republican presidential, Senate or gubernatorial candidate has ever won statewide without winning 60% of the vote in Waukesha.
[10 p.m.] Voting extending at UW-Whitewater
By Noe Goldhaber
Voting and registration was extended at UW-Whitewater locations Downtown Armony 146 W North St and UW-W UC Hamilton Room, according to Wisconsin Sen. Mark Spreitzer.
Earlier in the day lines of over four hours were reported.
[10 p.m.] Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman wins 6th Congressional District
By Alaina Walsh and Audrey Lopez-Stane
Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District reelects incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman. With 55% of precincts reporting, Grothman holds 66.2% percent of the vote, a lead of about 70,000 votes over Democratic challenger John Zarbano.
[9:52 p.m.] Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany wins 7th Congressional District
By Alaina Walsh and Audrey Lopez-Stane
Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany won Wisconsin’s 7th district over Democratic challenger Kyle Kilbourn. With 48% of precincts reporting, Tiffany holds 66.8% of the vote, leading by about 60,000 votes.
[9:57 p.m.]
By Sreejita Patra and Joseph Panzer
Melissa Agard has declared victory in the Dane County executive race with 61% of the vote at 81.5% of precincts reporting. Dane County voters have rejected the amendment that would exclude non-citizens from voting eligibility in local elections by 5.8 points and have approved school revenue limit, bonds and tax levies by 38, 43 and 13.2 points.
“Folks, tonight our victory is decisive, and it’s a testament of a broad and diverse coalition of support that we have built in order to move Dane County forward to be a place for everyone,” Agard said.
[9:49 p.m.] Tone among crowd is shifting, viewers anxiously watching results as Baldwin and Hovde remain virtually tied with close to 60% reporting statewide
By Iain Chang and Nick Bumgardner
Baldwin and Hovde are in a dead heat with 57% of votes counted, with Baldwin leading by just 2,000 votes. Crowds seem anxious, the volume has lowered in the theater and attendees are beginning to sit down with eyes glued to the screen.
[9:45 p.m.]
By Elijah Pines
In the first hour and a half of the watch party, hopes are high for College Republicans. While spectators are disappointed at the Democratic lean in Virginia, they are elated at how the “left-leaning” New York Times has a 83% chance of Trump victory at time of writing.
The RSO’s treasurer said “we're still pretty early on in the night, but I think that we're doing really well.”
[9:30 p.m.] International students watch results from Memorial Union
By Noe Goldhaber and Wanwa Omot
UW-Madison Russian political science graduate students Ilya and Nastya said their families were watching the election results 11 hours ahead in Russia. They said a Trump win could change “the game” regarding the Russia-Ukraine War.
“In Russia, even among the most anti-Putin and very liberal minded people, most of them support Donald Trump because stereotypically he’s the guy who is going to finish the war,” Nastya said.
Both said they would have voted for Harris if they could vote in the election.
UW-Madison German international business graduate student Tom is watching in awe over the fervor surrounding politics in the United States.
“The amount of money Americans use for advertisements is a hundred times the amount of Germany,” he said.
He says he does not pay much attention to German politics either but notices young people in the U.S. are more politically engaged.
“People are knocking at our door 3-4 times a week and wanting to talk about politics,” he said.
[9:28 p.m.] Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan wins 2nd Congressional District
By Alaina Walsh and Audrey Lopez-Stane
Incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan easily held onto Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District. With 69% of precincts reporting, Pocan holds 69.6% of the vote, a lead of about 118,000 over Republican challenger Erik Olsen.
[9:20 p.m.] Black voter turnout stays stagnate, but more favor Trump, according to exit polls
By Nick Bumgardner
According to an NBC exit poll, Trump has more than doubled his support among Black voters in Wisconsin since 2020, from 8% to 20%. This is all as the number of Black voters turning out in Wisconsin – 6% – has stayed the same, according to NBC and a separate exit poll from Reuters. If true, it’s a startling shift among a historically Democratic demographic.
[9:00 p.m.] Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez just addressed the crowd, said the race will likely not be called till late in the night
By Iain Chang
Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez took digs at Republican candidate Eric Hovde, saying he ran his campaign with “special interest allies" and called his campaign ads “dark and divisive.” She also made references to his California residency status saying he does not understand Wisconsinites’ issues.
“I want someone who gets Wisconsin, not California, representing us in Washington,” she said.
Rodrugiez said she will be routinely updating the crowd throughout the night.
[9:05 p.m.] Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore wins 4th Congressional District, Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald wins 5th Congressional District in routs
By Alaina Walsh and Audrey Lopez-Stane
Wisconsin’s 4th Congressional District has been called in favor of incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore. With 45% of precincts reporting, Moore holds 72.5% of the vote, about 81,000 more than Republican challenger Tim Rogers.
Wisconsin’s 5th Congressional District has been called in favor of incumbent Republican U.S Rep. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald holds the seat with 65% of the vote with 68% of precincts reporting, about 92,000 more than Democratic challenger Ben Steinhoff.
[9:10 p.m.] Harris underperforming Biden, Evers in Dane County with roughly half the vote count
By Nick Bumgardner
In Dane County, Harris is underperforming Biden by 6.3% and Evers’ 2022 reelection by 11.6%, with 46.9% of precincts reporting, according to a Cardinal analysis. Harris is leading Trump 72.2% to 26%.
[9:06 p.m.] Baldwin watch party attendees eagerly watch results
By Iain Chang
Baldwin’s election watch party at the Orpheum Theater has started. An enthusiastic crowd is starting to fill the theater. MSNBC is playing on the big screen, and attendees are anxiously watching results in real time.
The crowd cheered at MSNBC’s mention of Baldwin’s Senate race.
Energized rally attendee Ian Judge-Lord told the Cardinal he has been canvassing for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin since September and wants to see his hard work pay off with Baldwin’s reelection.
He said Baldwin’s work on the Affordable Care Act is one of the biggest reasons he is supporting her. He said the law’s provisions that prevent insurance companies from denying based on pre-existing conditions is the reason he still has health insurance.
“If I knew nothing else about Baldwin and Hovde, that would be enough for me,” Judge-Lord said.
Baldwin is expected to address the crowd after results are called.
[9:00 p.m.]
By Mary Bosch
Trump supporters distributed Harris attack ads on Library Mall during the day.
“A vote for Kamala is a vote for endless wars and record profit for the Military Industrial Complex,” the ad reads.
The ad also praises Trump, saying “Your Vote for Trump is a vote for peace!”
“If I am President, I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours! I’ll meet with Putin, I’ll meet with Zelensky … within 24 hours that war will be settled,” Trump said in the ad. It also mentions Donald Trump is endorsed by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
[8:59 p.m.]
By Sreejita Patra and Joseph Panzer
With 103,274 ballots accounted for, Dane County is reporting 52% voter turnout across 108 polling stations as of 6:51 p.m.
Current unofficial results see Dane County Executive candidate Melissa Agard leading Dana Pellebon by roughly 25% of votes with 36.5% of precincts reporting. Early vote percentages favor school revenue limit, bonds and tax levy increases in Madison by 39, 44 and 12 points respectively.
At the Embassy Suites down the street from City Hall, the ballroom is packed with a watch party for Melissa Agard’s Dane County executive race as attendants chatter while sipping cocktails and viewing MSNBC coverage of the presidential race on two large projector screens. U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, who represents most of Dane County, is in attendance.
[8:53 p.m.] Hovde outperforms Trump in reported WOW counties
By Nick Bumgardner
Hovde is currently outperforming Trump by roughly one point in both Waukesha County and Ozaukee County, two of the closely-watched WOW counties, with 81.5% of precincts reporting in Waukesha County and 45.1% of precincts reporting in Ozaukee, according to an analysis by The Daily Cardinal.
[8:50 p.m.]
By Elijah Pines
Republicans at the GOP Badgers watch party are tense as certain races appear close. One watcher remarked “let’s hope the Amish pull through” in Pennsylvania. Many expressed their shock that Virginia is close — as of 8:46 p.m., Trump is leading Harris 50% to 48.3% with 57% of the vote counted, according to the Associated Press. Biden won Virginia by over 10 points in 2020, and Virginia was considered reliably Democratic by the Harris campaign.
[8:45 p.m.] Hovde lags Johnson in Waukesha County
Nick Bumgardner
In 2022, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson won Waukesha County by nearly 25.5 percentage points. With two-thirds of the vote in for 2024, Republican candidate Eric Hovde leads by just 21 points and is under 60% of the vote. It’s still early, but erosion in the historically-Republican counties around Milwaukee, like Waukesha, is a good early sign for incumbent U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
[8:40 p.m.] Democrats win uncontested Madison-area Legislative races
By Anna Kleiber
Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, in Assembly District 76 and Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison, in Assembly District 79 have won reelection to the state Assembly in uncontested races, having also won uncontested primaries.
Rep. Sheila Stubbs, D-Madison, in Assembly District 78 was challenged during her primary election, but after winning by a 32% margin earlier this fall, Stubbs also went unchallenged in the general election.
Newcomer Democrat Renuka Mayadev was elected to the State Assembly in the newly-drawn Assembly District 77, becoming the first South Asian to serve in Wisconsin’s Assembly.
Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, who represents Senate District 26, also ran uncontested in the general election and will serve another four years in the state Senate.
[8:27 p.m.]
By Wanwa Omot
Around 150 people are packing Memorial Union’s Der Rathskeller for an election watch party hosted by the WUD Society and Politics Committee and the Political Science Student Association. As of 8 p.m., 15 states, including Wisconsin, have closed their polls. People eagerly watch the NBC News broadcast as more states are being called.
[8:22 p.m.]
By Jake and Drew Wesson
The Dane County Republican Party has high hopes at their watch party. A group of people have gathered around several TVs, one displaying CNN and the other displaying Fox News, as the results pour in.
Several candidates were in attendance, including Erik Olsen, a Republican candidate for Wisconsin’s Second Congressional District. In a speech, he cited an earlier campaign event on Library Mall, where he noted he was surprised by the number of passersby who expressed their support for Trump.
Boos have followed races that have been called for Democrats, while cheers accompany races that have been called for Republican candidates.
[8:16 p.m.]
By Elijah Pines
College Republicans have gathered at Vilas Hall for a watch party. Though only 10 students have shown up so far, friends are busy socializing, eating snacks and watching Fox News.
[8:02 p.m.]
By Mary Bosch
Spirits are high for the University of Wisconsin-Madison College Democrats canvassing on campus despite passing the 12 hour mark, spokesperson Ty Schanhofer said.
“99.9% of people are a ‘yes, I voted,’ and they'll even tell us ‘I early voted,’ or ‘I voted today at Smith,’” Schanhofer said. Canvassers across campus also provided voter information, he added.
“This is a very civic-minded campus,” Schanhofer said. “It makes our job easier because people want to vote and they want to be involved in our democracy.”
Schanhofer said College Democrats are “cautiously optimistic” about the election, though he acknowledged that could be a byproduct of being in Madison, “a pretty blue stronghold.”
“Kamala Harris's agenda and policy and the Democratic policy as a whole are really resonating with young voters,” Schanhofer said.
GOP Badgers canvassed for about an hour-and-a-half and a group of about 10 Trump supporters also stopped by Library Mall, according to Schanhofer.
Schanhofer also noticed a gender divide in the Trump supporters who interacted with College Democrats, almost all of them being men.
[8 p.m.] Polls are closed in Wisconsin
By Tomer Ronen and Clara Strecker
The polls are now closed in Wisconsin. Swing states Arizona and Michigan are also closing. Nevada will be the final swing state to close, at 9 p.m. CST, and Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania are already counting votes.
Voters who are in line by 8 p.m. can stay in line to cast their ballot.
[6 p.m.]
By Sreejita Patra and Joseph Panzer
Roughly 83,000 votes across a hundred wards were cast in Madison as of 4 p.m. today, representing about 48% of total city turnout. Though the Dane County Clerk’s Office is “a little bit concerned about high winds and heavy rains” in the area, there have been no additional security concerns in any polling places.
Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell said City Hall has been swept for bombs and stationed with additional law enforcement and security measures similar to 2020.
[4:15 p.m.] Baldwin, Evers make UW-Madison their final campaign stop
By Iain Chang
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Gov. Tony Evers spoke with enthusiastic voters during the final campaign stop at Library Mall. University of Wisconsin-Madison students crowded around Baldwin waiting to speak to and take pictures with her and Evers.
Baldwin told The Daily Cardinal she is feeling “wonderful” about her upcoming race against Republican challenger Eric Hovde.
“I’m hearing reports of really amazing turnout, especially [in Madison],” she said.
She said she is confident Wisconsin’s record high early voting turnout is a good sign for her tight race against Hovde.
UW-Madison College Democrats member Ty Schanhofer told the Cardinal he is “cautiously optimistic” about Democratic performance in the 2024 election.
“We’re feeling excited to watch the results come in tonight,” he said.
[4 p.m.]
By Alaina Walsh and Mary Bosch
Campus polling locations including Gordon Dining & Event Center, Smith Residence Hall and the Nicholas Recreation Center are experiencing strong turnout so far, Chief Inspector at Gordon Dining & Event Center Mike Verveer said.
Verveer told The Daily Cardinal many first-time voters were enthusiastic with a line of over 100 voters right as the polls opened at 7 a.m.
“It’s really fun congratulating folks on their first vote ever,” Verveer said. “I can’t recall so many voters arriving early, well before the polls opened.”
Verveer said more than 2,000 students are assigned to vote at Gordon, including UW Housing residents in Sellery, Witte and the nearby Lucky apartments.
Verveer estimated about half of those students voted early. Poll workers have been processing those early ballots. As of 2 p.m., Madison has processed about a quarter of the roughly 55,000 absentee ballots.
Unlike other cities, Madison does not use a central counting center for early votes. Instead, early and absentee ballots are returned to the voter’s local polling place and counted on Election Day.
Verveer said the absentee counting process will likely continue until polls close at 8 p.m. Enthusiasm is high among the voters he’s seen at Gordon, Verveer said.
At Memorial Union, Chief Election Inspector Izzie Behl told the Cardinal voting was much smoother than the socially distanced 2020 election held during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wait times peaked at about 10 minutes. During early voting, students reported lines of about two hours.
“[In 2020] we had a line out the door, because it was six feet distancing, and we had to wait for everybody to get through. We could only serve like six people inside my building at a time,” Behl said.
Behl said excitement has been high with lots of same-day voter registration. Within the first hour of voting, Memorial Union election workers registered 52 people, and that number reached 200 by 3 p.m. Since early voting began two weeks ago, Behl said election officials at Memorial Union have registered 1,100 people.
[2 p.m.] Midday turnout update
By Noe Goldhaber
Turnout in Madison reached 23% as of 1:45 p.m., according to the Madison election stats dashboard. The Madison Clerk’s Office has processed 13,621 absentee ballots out of the 56,227 submitted, and 46,057 ballots have been cast in-person at the polls.
Dane County Clerk Scott McDonnell told reporters he was expecting “raw numbers higher than four years ago” because of Dane County’s population growth.
McDonnell also said there were no problems reported at the polls so far.
[7:30 a.m.]
By Jake Wesson and Drew Wesson
Wisconsin polls opened at 7 a.m. Many UW-Madison campus voters told The Daily Cardinal they were eager to vote in their first presidential election.
Grace Reichert, a UW-Madison freshman and first-time presidential voter, said she was nervous about the election.
“I’m hoping it's going a particular way, but I don’t know,” Reichert said.
Reichert stood in a line of about five minutes at the Frank Holt Center in the UW-Madison Lakeshore Residence community.
More than 10,000 Madison residents have already voted early at campus locations.
[6 a.m.] Wisconsin races to watch
By Anna Kleiber
Here’s a rundown of the races we will be following:
Presidential: Kamala Harris (D) vs. Donald Trump (R)
Vice President Kamala Harris faces off against former President Donald Trump for the presidency.
The most recent Marquette Law School poll released on Wednesday found Harris is supported by 50% of likely voters and Trump supported by 49%. In late September, the previous poll found that Harris received 52% and Trump 48% among likely voters.
Harris last visited Madison Wednesday to energize young voters during the final stretch of the 2024 presidential campaign. Trump visited Waunakee, located just north of Madison, on Oct. 1, marking the first visit to Dane County in an election year made by a Republican presidential nominee ahead of the general election in 26 years.
Dane County is crucial role in this election. NBC News reported Dane County is one of seven counties that could decide the election. In Dane County, 202,035 absentee ballots have been returned as of Nov. 4. The total number of absentee ballots cast in Wisconsin has also far surpassed the number of absentee ballots cast in 2016, the last presidential election prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
U.S. Senate: Tammy Baldwin (D*) vs. Eric Hovde (R)
Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin faces Republican challenger Eric Hovde in a tight race for the U.S. Senate seat.
The most recent Marquette Law School poll released on Wednesday found Baldwin supported by 51% to Hovde’s 49% of likely voters.
Baldwin last visited Madison alongside Harris for Wednesday’s “Get Out the Vote” rally. Hovde visited Madison just a day prior to speak at a College Republicans of University of Wisconsin-Madison event on Oct. 29, downplaying climate change and talking abortion.
U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan and Republican challenger Erik Olsen vie for the 2nd Congressional District seat. Olson previously ran for the seat two years ago.
The 2nd Congressional district covers Dane County, Sauk County, Iowa County, Lafayette County and Green County, as well as part of Rock County. The district is liberal-leaning, housing both the state’s capital and UW-Madison campus.
In addition to the 2nd Congressional District, we will also be watching key races in Wisconsin’s 1st, 3rd and 8th Congressional Districts.
Assembly and Senate races
The Nov. 5 election will be the first Assembly and state Senate races to take place under Wisconsin’s new legislative maps.
Gov. Evers passed a proposal on Feb. 19 to redraw Wisconsin’s legislative maps ahead of the 2024 election. The new maps come after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled the state’s Republican-drawn maps unconstitutional because districts were not contiguous in a 4-3 decision.
While the previous legislative maps allowed Republicans to secure overwhelming majorities in both chambers despite the Wisconsin electorate’s near-even partisan split, the new maps will allow for more competitive Assembly and Senate races in the state.
Currently, Republicans hold a 64-35 majority in the Assembly and a 22-11 supermajority in the Senate.
All members of the Assembly and state senators in even-numbered districts will run in redrawn districts in 2024. State senators in odd-numbered districts will remain in office until their current term ends in 2026.
Key races we are watching include Madison-specific races such as Assembly districts 76, 77, 78 and 79 and Senate District 26. We will also be watching Assembly districts 85, 88, 92 and 94 and Senate districts 8, 14, 30 and 32, which are considered battleground districts under Wisconsin’s new legislative maps.
Statewide referendum
Also on the ballot is the following statewide referendum question:
“Eligibility to vote. Shall section 1 of article III of the constitution, which deals with suffrage, be amended to provide that only a United States citizen age 18 or older who resides in an election district may vote in an election for national, state, or local office or at a statewide or local referendum?”
The referendum, proposed by Wisconsin’s Republican-controlled Legislature, looks to further clarify that the law applies to all elections and referendums, whether local, state or national, by changing the words from “every United States citizen age 18 or older” to “only a United States citizen age 18 or older.”
The change in wording could prevent Wisconsin localities from allowing noncitizens to vote in the future. While some municipalities in other states have allowed noncitizen voting for local elections like school board races, nowhere in Wisconsin currently allows noncitizen voting.
Anna Kleiber is the state news editor for The Daily Cardinal. She previously served as the arts editor. Anna has written in-depth on elections, legislative maps and campus news. She has interned with WisPolitics and Madison Magazine. Follow her on Twitter at @annakleiber03.
Annika Bereny is a Senior Staff Writer and the former Special Pages Editor for The Daily Cardinal. She is a History and Journalism major and has written in-depth campus news, specializing in protest policy, free speech and historical analysis. She has also written for state and city news. Follow her on Twitter at @annikabereny.
Gavin Escott is the campus news editor for the Daily Cardinal. He has covered protests, breaking news and written in-depth on Wisconsin politics and higher education. He is the former producer of the Cardinal Call podcast. Follow him on X at @gav_escott.
Jake Wesson is a staff writer and photographer for The Daily Cardinal. He has written stories covering politics, protests, public safety and more. You can follow him on Twitter @jake_wesson11.
Nick Bumgardner is a senior staff writer at The Daily Cardinal covering state news and politics. You can follow him on Twitter at @nickbum_.
Iain Chang is a senior staff writer at The Daily Cardinal covering state news and politics.
Mary Bosch is the photo editor for The Daily Cardinal and a first year journalism student. She has covered multiple stories about university sustainability efforts, and has written for state and city news. Follow her on twitter: @Mary_Bosch6
Clara Strecker is a copy chief for The Daily Cardinal. She also covers state news.
Drew Wesson is a staff writer and photographer for The Daily Cardinal. He has written stories covering public safety, protests, political events and more. You can follow him on Twitter @drewwesson1.
Noe Goldhaber is the college news editor and former copy chief for The Daily Cardinal. She is a Statistics and Journalism major and has specialized on a wide range of campus topics including protests, campus labor, student housing, free speech and campus administration. She has done data analysis and visualization for the Cardinal on a number of stories. Follow her on Twitter at @noegoldhaber.
Tomer Ronen is the Features Editor for the Daily Cardinal. He has covered protests, state politics, sports and more. Follow him on Twitter at @TRonen22.
Gabriella Hartlaub is the former arts editor for The Daily Cardinal. She has also written state politics and campus news. She currently is a summer reporting intern with Raleigh News and Observer. Follow her on Twitter at @gabihartlaub.
Ella Hanley is the associate news editor for The Daily Cardinal. She has written breaking, city, state and campus news. Follow her on Twitter at @ellamhanley.
Sreejita Patra is a senior staff writer and the former summer ad sales manager for The Daily Cardinal. She has written for breaking news, campus news and arts and has done extensive reporting on the 2024 presidential race. She also covered the Oregon Village Board for the Oregon Observer.
