A general election for municipal and county offices is scheduled for April 7, 2020, in Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin’s two most populous cities. Milwaukee is the county seat of Milwaukee County, and Madison is the county seat of Dane County. Primaries were held February 18.
In Milwaukee, the following offices are up for election:
- Mayor
- City attorney
- City comptroller
- Common council (15 seats)
In Milwaukee County, the following offices are up for election:
- County executive
- County comptroller
- Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors (18 seats)
- Milwaukee County Circuit Court (branches 2, 5, 7, 16, 27, 29, and 32)
In Madison, the following office is up for election:
- Special election for Madison Common Council District 8
In Dane County, the following offices are up for election:
- Dane County Board of Supervisors (37 seats)
- Dane County Circuit Court (branch 7)
Offices in Dane County and Milwaukee County are officially nonpartisan. The presidential primary in Wisconsin is also scheduled for April 7.
Although many states have postponed or authorized the postponement of municipal elections in reaction to the coronavirus (COVID-19), lawmakers in Wisconsin have declined to do so. On Thursday, April 2, U.S. District Judge William Conley dismissed a request to delay the election but did issue an order extending absentee voting deadlines in the April 7 election. Under Conley’s order, the absentee ballot request deadline was extended to 5:00 p.m. April 3, 2020. The ballot return deadline was extended to 4:00 p.m. April 13, 2020.
In response to concerns that many areas of Wisconsin would not have enough poll workers to open voting locations, Assistant Attorney General Hannah Jurss indicated on March 31 that Governor Tony Evers (D) would deploy members of the National Guard to assist poll workers on April 7.
Additional reading:
City elections in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (2020)
Municipal elections in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin (2020)
City elections in Madison, Wisconsin (2020)
Municipal elections in Dane County, Wisconsin (2020)
United States municipal elections, 2020
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