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Pandemic upends spring election

Video Credit: WISN - Duration: 07:56s - Published
Pandemic upends spring election

Pandemic upends spring election

Political strategists Joe Zepecki, Democrat, and Brian Reisinger, Republican, discuss how the pandemic could affect turnout and the outcome of Tuesday’s election.

AND LATER, EFFORTS TO MAKE ANOVERFLOW HOSPITAL AT WISCONSIN’SSTATE FAIR PARK.

ADRIENNE: TUESDAY’S VOTING WILLDETERMINE RACES FOR WISCONSINSUPREME COURT, MILWAUKEE MAYORAND COUNTY EXECUTIVE, PLUSHUNDREDS OF OTHER LOCAL SEATS.IT’S ALSO WISCONSIN’SPRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE PRIMARY,WITH FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOEBIDEN, AND VERMONT SENATORBERNIE SANDERS ON THE BALLOT FORDEMOCRATS.THE LATEST MARQUETTE LAW SCHOOLPOLL SHOWS BIDEN LEADING SANDERS62%-34%.WE’RE LOOKING AHEAD TO TUESDAYWITH TWO POLITICAL STRATEGISTS,REPUBLICAN BRIAN REISINGER OFPLATFORM COMMUNICATIONS, ANDDEMOCRAT JOE ZEPECKI OF ZEPECKICOMMUNICATIONS.Thank you both for joining us.I went to get right to it.Having an election during apandemic is changed so much.Think about it, candidateshaven’t been able to make theirrounds, they have had debatescanceled, I am interested howthe timing of this crisis isgoing to affect the results.Brian.We will go alphabetically.MR. REISINGER: it is a role ofthe dice, we are balancing onthe razors edge every electioncycle.We don’t know how thecoronavirus will affect turnoutin different populations ofvoters.Safety is the thing everyone ismost concerned about.there is a serious risk from theconservative side, oneconservatives are working veryhard to deal with, which is thefact that some of the rules ofthis election are going to endup neighboring the liberal sideof the aisle.traditionally speaking, it istrue that voters on conservativeside turned out election day,they are very committed.The left is trying to work tomake up for that deficit byemphasizing absentee ballotingand early in person voting.So in this scenario where it maynot be safe for some people togo to the polls, it benefits theliberal side of the aisle.Republicans and conservativecandidates are working hard tocombat that, to make sure we winon solid grounds and doeverything we can to make surewe have a serious absenteeballot drive that isunprecedented in modern times.it is a real risk, especiallygiven some things that have beengoing on that we feel liberalshave been trying to change therules and tilt things further intheir favor.ADRIENNE: Joe?MR. ZEPECKI: I have neverthought of voting to be aliberal or conservative issue,but that is fine.Brian is right, safety isparamount.Everybody on both sides of theaisle want people to participatein the election and do sosafely.that has meant record numbers ofabsentee votes.We are well past one millionFriday morning.that is approaching turnout wesaw in last year’s springelection, and that is reallygood to see.In terms of how this will effectresults, when we look back afterthis is over, how did the timingof the election impact result?as more people vote absenteeunder voting earlier, that meansthe sequence and timing ofcommunications from campaignsplays a bigger role.The Kerensky campaign had beenoutspending KELLY and his alliesin the Supreme Court race forthe past few weeks up until thisweek.ADRIENNE: it seems like therecould potentially be somefallout after the election.What could we see there,potentially from the Democraticside?MR. ZEPECKI: the only waCOVID-19 is helping the economyis that it is a full employmentplan for attorneys.there will be challenges atlitigation after the election.that is too bad, becauseelections commission officials,municipal courts on the governorhave done yeoman’s work, heroicwork to make sure lots and lotsof people can go out andself-determined on Tuesday.that is important and theyshould be congratulated.MR. REISINGER: I think we are inpartisan disagreement on a fewelements of that.There have -- that has beenyeoman’s work done to put on theelection and we hope it goes assmoothly as possible.Everyone should be ready forlitigation in Wisconsin.it is hard to say what willhappen, but it seems difficultto come through us scenario likethis where one side of theother, potentially both, don’thave real problems with the waythis went down.it is an election whereconservatives have to scrap andfight for every single it --inch.candidates up and down theballot been doing that and thatis extremely important all theway through not only electionday, but afterward now, as aresult of this.MR. ZEPECKI: these are overblownconcerns.The extension of the deadline isbased on concerns like, the maletakes longer in urban areas tomove.we have already heard that theelections commission isconsidering how to adjust tothis new reality, and isconsidering doing really smartthings that prevent what Brianis worried about from happening.This is a crisis.We have to be as a flexible --as flexible and accommodating aswe can in the name of publicsafety, while also adhering toour principles, chief among themself-determination and allowingpeople to participate.The ruling did a nice job ofstraddling the line and findingthat ballot.ADRIENNE: when we talk about theSupreme Court case, we know itis dictated largely by turnout.It has been in the past.How do we think it will affectthe race this time around,considering there is a pandemicand all these changes?MR. REISINGER: that is the truewild card.I am reluctant to put myprognosticator --MR. ZEPECKI: I am reluctant toput my prognosticator cap onbecause we don’t know how thisis affecting voter choice.The things we do know is thatthe Democratic primary forpresident is not ashotly-contested a battle as wethought it would be.If you asked me a month ago,yes, Bernie Sanders is stillrunning, but we are not seeingthe spirited kind of contestmany predicted.it is a going flip at thispoint.ADRIENNE: things have changedwhen it comes to thepresidential race on theDemocratic side.Brian, what you think about theSupreme Court?MR. REISINGER: no doubt it is acoin flip and both sides need tofight.That is what is happening on theconservative end.The Democratic presidentialprimary will have far lessimpact that it would have.Don’t forget just weeks ago,people were saying justice andKelly and conservativecandidates were dead man walkingbecause the Democraticconvention was going to commenton the walkie and drive upturnout on that side of the eye.desk of the aisle -- of thaisle.Justice Kelly raised more moneyand had a better message and wasmore aggressive and controllingthings you can control, fightingthe uphill battle and theDemocratic electorate is notgoing to be as large as it mighthave been.ADRIENNE: thank you to your bothfor your insights.THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONALCOMMITTEE HAS CHANGED THE DATEOF ITS CONVENTION IN MILWAUKEE.IT’S MOVING FROM JULY TO AUGUST17, BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.OUR EDITORIAL PARTNER,WISPOLITICS.com, WRITES ANEWSLETTER TO KEEP YOU UP TODATE ON THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE INWISCONSIN.YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE ONLINE ATWISPOLITICS.com.COMING UP, GET READY TO STARTSEEING A LOT MORE PEOPLECOVERING THEIR FACES, IN P




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