Celebrating 100 years of journalistic integrity
SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION
Polarization increases over time Divide between party lines intensifies, doubles in past decade according to research NEWS, 2
Volume 104, Number 22 WWW.MARQUETTEWIRE.ORG
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 SPJ Award-Winning Newspaper
Virus impacts
Turnout likely to decrease due to COVID-19 outbreak By Annie Mattea
anne.mattea@marquette.edu
The outbreak of the new coronavirus will likely have numerous impacts on the April 7 election in Wisconsin. To combat the spread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin, Gov. Tony Evers recently issued an order called Safer at Home that prohibits all gatherings of any individuals who are not part of a single living unit and urges individuals to stay at home except for essential activities, such as grocery shopping. The order went into effect March 25 and is set to remain in place until April 24. While some other states have delayed their primaries, including Ohio and New York, Wisconsin has not changed its date. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. with specific procedures in place to ensure safety, including curbside, drive through and outdoor options. However, March 27 Governor Tony Evers called for every voter in Wisconsin to request an absentee ballot. To request an absentee ballot, individuals must be registered to vote. The deadline to register to vote online was March 30, and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is April 2. However, voters can still register on Election Day in person at the polls. The April 7 election includes the presidential primary among various local elections, including the Milwaukee mayoral race and a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Jen Reid, director of student affairs, sent an email to stu- d e n t s Friday
advising them on how to vote in Wisconsin if they registered and had planned to vote in Milwaukee. For students who are from Wisconsin, the email said they could register to vote in their local municipality. For students who are not from Wisconsin, the email said if students had planned to vote as a Wisconsin resident and did not have their Marquette Voter ID card, Marquette had no way to get students the ID card unless they were to return to campus. The Wisconsin Elections Commission has since announced that it will accept scanned copies of the Marquette Voter ID card for uploading when students are requesting ballots or registering to vote. Reid said that the Office of Public Affairs reached out to the Wisconsin Elections Commission with a proposed process and the proposal was accepted, allowing the scanned option. Eric Rorholm, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and president of College Democrats, said he brought the issue of the voter ID cards being unavailable online to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and it was added to a larger lawsuit against the state of Wisconsin. Rorholm said there will be questions after this election if it was truly a fair and free election. Though students are now able to use online versions of the ID cards, the deadline to register online was March 30 — the same day that the approval from the commission came — making students less likely to have been able to register due to time constraint. To get a voter ID card, students can submit See VIRUS page 2
How to vote
Students able to register, request absentee ballots By Nick Magrone
nicholas.magrone@marquette.edu
This year’s election cycle not only features the presidential race but many local elections as well. The April 7 Milwaukee election alone includes numerous candidates vying for city positions such as mayor, city attorney, city comptroller, city treasurer and all 15 common council members. For some students, this is the first election in which they can vote. Although Marquette students are normally on campus during election season, due to the recent outbreak of the coronavirus, many students have left and only a handful remain. Therefore, many students will be voting through absentee ballots, which is a way for people to vote if they are unable to go in person to the polls.
How to request a Marquette voter ID card A valid photo ID is required to register to vote and to request an absentee ballot. To get a voter ID card, students can submit requests online and sign electronically. The deadline to request an ID card is April 5 at 5 p.m. Photo via the U.S. Pacific Fleet
The Marquette Card Office will then approve the information and then print the card, scan it and email a scanned copy back to students. Students can then print and use a copy when registering or requesting an absentee ballot.
How to register In order to vote with an absentee ballot, students must be registered to vote. March 30 was the deadline to register to vote online in Wisconsin, but there are still two other ways to register. Voters can register in person at the Municipal Clerk’s Office by April 3, and Wisconsin allows same-day voter registration in person at polling places on Election Day April 7. Polls are open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. To register, voters will need a valid photo ID and proof of residence. Marquette students can log into their Checkmarq accounts to access the required paperwork by navigating to their student account and clicking on student account activity.
How to request an absentee ballot If voting via absentee ballot, voters must request a ballot at myvote.wi.gov by April 2. See VOTE page 3