The Wisconsin presidential primary is set to take place on Tuesday, April 2. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and all who are in line by 8 p.m. will get the opportunity to vote.
Though the primary has a connection to the general election that takes place in November, there are a few differences between the two.
In a year in which a presidential election is happening, there are two main parts to the election that take place state by state in spring. The spring election takes place in Wisconsin on the first Tuesday of April to elect non-partisan judicial, educational, municipal, county officers and sewerage commissioners.
The presidential preference vote is also held on the ballot and precedes the general election, which takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
According to the Wisconsin Elections Commission, the vote is held “in conjunction with the spring election to express preferences for the person to be the presidential candidate for each party in a year in which the president and vice president are to be elected.”
On March 12, President Joe Biden and Former President Donald Trump were officially named as the presumptive nominees of the Republican and Democratic parties. Because primary elections only include presidential primaries every four years, they yield more focus on local government.
For those interested in registering as a voter in the state of Wisconsin, it can be done in a few ways. At this point, online registration is not an option for those interested in voting in the primary on April 2.
According to Eau Claire City Clerk Kristina Kuzma, voters can also register at the polls.
“The elector must sign a completed voter registration application [EL131] in the presence of an election inspector or election registration official,” Kuzma said. “The elector must present the election official with proof of residence. The document must list the voter’s complete name and Wisconsin residential address.”
Once registered there are a number of locations in which voters in Eau Claire can go to cast their ballot. On the UW-Eau Claire campus, an in-person polling site is set up in Davies Student Center. Students must bring their Blugold ID or another document that proves both their position as a student and their identity.
Kuzma said that for non-student Eau Claire voters, there are a number of optional locations to vote at. She also explained that depending on their address, residents in Eau Claire will vote at one of twenty polling sites in the city.
The contents of the ballot vary every year. According to Kuzma, the specific purpose of this election in relation to the City of Eau Claire is to select district alderperson representatives to the city council.
“There are eleven members on the Eau Claire City Council. Five of the members are elected from aldermanic districts. Five members and the council president are elected at large,” Kuzma said. “At-large alderpersons were elected to three-year terms in 2022. District alderpersons were elected to three-year terms in 2021.”
Along with the Presidential Preference, this ballot will decide Eau Claire County Circuit Judge in branches three, four and five. It will also decide Eau Claire County Supervisor in district 18, Eau Claire Council Member in district 3 and Eau Claire Area School District School Board Member.
There are two referendums on this year’s ballot. The first is the State of Wisconsin Use of Private Funds in Election Administration Referendum. This referendum asks voters for their opinion on the use of private donations when conducting any primary, election or referendum.
The second referendum is the State of Wisconsin Election Officials Referendum. This referendum asks voters for their opinion on allowing only elected officials to perform tasks in conducting primaries, elections and referendums.
For more information on registering to vote, the contents of the ballot, polling sites and future elections visit myvote.wi.gov.
Braun can be reached at [email protected].
