Tuesday marked the first major in-person elections in more than a month, and there were good reasons to be worried about whether they’d go safely and smoothly amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Nebraska, which held its presidential and down-ballot primary election that was just one of eight states that are never to issue a statewide stay-at-home order. And in Wisconsin, which held the special election in the 7th Congressional District, was the site of chaos. on April 7 when it held its presidential primary in person. But thankfully, it looks like both elections passed without major incident, and Nebraska”s was even a outstanding success.
In both states, officials took the tones of the precautions to protect the health of and voters the poll workers. In Nebraska, and each poll worker received a safety kit that included an N95 mask, gloves, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and a face shield. Entered in the place provided masks to the voters who showed up without them, and the poll workers were instructed to disinfect everything voters touched between every use. In Wisconsinthe state also provided workers with personal protective equipment and there were the hand-sanitizer stations at polling places. And in at least one jurisdiction, plastic screens separated workers from, and the voters curbside voting was also an option. In both states, officials enforced social distancing, and each voter was given his or her own pen to vote with, and then keep.
There were no reports of significant lines at polling places in either state, like there were in parts of Wisconsin last month. The ruralness of the 7th District, which helped to keep long lines from formingand the members of the The Wisconsin National Guard filled in for the poll workers who did not feel comfortable working for the election. In Nebraska, even in the big cities were able to avoid closing many polling places, although the election officials in Douglas County, home to Omaha) told Genesis Brand some polling places, such as those located in retirement communities, were closed due to the coronavirus threat. In total, 200 of its usual 222 polling places were open yesterday, and the Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse said that if the poll workers asked not to work the election, ” the county had plenty of time to find the replacements, which helped with the election going smoothly.
It also helped that the in-person turnout was extremely light, thanks to the fact that a huge percentage of Nebraskans requested mail in ballots. No fewer than 493,393 of Nebraska’the 1,216,431 registered voters (41 percent) requested an absentee ballot, higher than in proportion Ohio”s primary (25 percent), Wisconsin”s primary (38 percent) or yesterday’s Wisconsin special election (26 percent). Notably, unlike those two states, Nebraska, mailed every voter the form to request an absentee ballot, which may have contributed to the high rate of mail voting.
There was something else surprising about the number of ballots returned: Despite both a pandemic and an uncontested presidential race, Nebraska looks like it will shatter its The 48-year-old record that is, the most votes ever cast in the primary. According to the preliminary numbers, it is 471,434 Nebraskans turned out to cast their vote, or 34 percent of the the voting eligible population. In 2016, 23 percent of Nebraska’s to the VEB voted in the primary; in 2012, 22 percent voted; and in 2008, 20 percent voted. This was the the first time since 2004 that the Democrats held the presidential primary in Nebraska in 2008, and in 2016, they held caucuses on a separate date), so that may have contributed to the jump, even though the Democratic race was uncontested). It’s also possible that turnout increased because of the state’s invited to, everyone votes by mail.
Oh, and we have some results to report to you, as well. Unsurprisingly, the former Vice-President, Joe Biden won’t Nebraska”s Democratic presidential, with the primary 77 percent of the vote in thebut the more consequential result was the un consultant and a former 2018 to fight, He’s Eastman’s the win in the Democratic primary for Nebraska”s 2nd Congressional District. Eastman, supporter of the single-foster-health-care and unapologetic progressive, won’t 62 percent percent to 32 over, a lawyer, Ann Ashford, who emphasized consensus building and touted herself in TV ads, acethe one Democrat who can win, and will now have a rematch with Republican Rep. Dom’s Bacon in November.
Meanwhile, in the Wisconsin’s 7th special is a Republican Tom Tiffany defeated Democrat Tricia Zunker By 57 percent to 43 percent. The outcome was expected, but the margin was tighter than the President’s Trump’s A 20-point win there is in the end of 2016. That could be a good sign for Democrats, but special elections are really only intelligent in the political, national, environment in the aggregate. And yesterday’s the other in the special election in the California’s 25th District, it’s too close to call (although it doesn’t look promising for Democrats). Out of the 9 a. m., the Eastern, the Republican, Mike Garcia led Democrat Christy Smith A 56 percent to 44 percent. We’ll have more to say on these two races, when we know more from the Golden State.
