Several city officials in the six districts playing host to recall elections say voter turnout is nearing what they saw in the 2008 presidential election, WisPolitics.com reports.
In River Falls, part of the 10th district where GOP Sen. Sheila Harsdorf is fending off challenger Shelly Moore, the city clerk was quoted as saying her office had sent out twice as many absentee ballots as usual. That’s an indication that months of ground game are paying off and voter energy is high.
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Hudson City Clerk Nancy Korson said voter turnout in Hudson, also part of the 10th, would likely not reach the levels of a presidential election. But they were comparable to the spring Supreme Court election, with over 500 absentee ballots received.
In Baraboo, Deputy Clerk Donna Munz said turnout was much higher than normal. She also said she’d received voter complaints over people at some polling places contacting them as they went into the polling places. At one, about nine people were outside and some voters said they were angry that they felt intimidated.
“We have received angry calls from voters regarding how persistent the people outside the polling places are,” Munz said.
In the 8th SD, one of the top races with GOP Sen. Alberta Darling and Dem Rep. Sandy Pasch, Whitefish Bay officials reported a steady stream during the morning, but said it was too early to say how turnout would end up in Pasch’s hometown.
Not every district was as lively. In the northeastern 2nd district, where GOP Sen. Rob Cowles has enjoyed a solid lead over Democrat Nancy Nusbaum, local officials predicted a turnout of around 45 percent.
