By Steve Prestegard
The Platteville Journal
The fall election is Tuesday, with polls open statewide from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Races on ballots in southwestern Wisconsin range from president to school district referendums.
School referendums
There are two categories of school operating referendums on the ballot Tuesday — temporary, or “non-recurring,” revenue cap increases, and “recurring,” or permanent, revenue cap increases:
Non-recurring: Albany, $3.75 million through 2026–27; Belmont, $2.2 million over five years; Darlington, $9.5 million for five years; De Soto, $5.5 million for three years; Dodgeville, $2.99 million per year for four years; Ithaca, $1.3 million for four years; Juda, $750,000 for five years; Monroe, $6 million for four years; Prairie du Chien, $10 million for four years; River Ridge, $3.3 million over three years.
Recurring: Argyle, $800,000; Cuba City, $1.8 million; Iowa-Grant, $1.2 million; Juda, $350,000; Mineral Point, $1.3 million; Platteville, $2.4 million.
State races
Tuesday’s election will feature new choices for voters in parts of Grant, Crawford and Richland counties who were moved into new Senate and Assembly districts after redistricting following the 2020 U.S. Census.
The 49th Assembly District includes most of Grant County and all of Crawford County. Rep. Travis Tranel (R-Town of Hazel Green) is running for reelection against Democrat Scott A. Walker — not the former governor — of Prairie du Chien.
The 51st Assembly District now includes Lafayette and Iowa counties, northeastern Grant County including Livingston and Muscoda, and parts of western Dane County. Rep. Todd Novak (R-Dodgeville) will be opposed by Democrat Elizabeth Grabe of Mount Horeb.
The new 50th Assembly District includes Green County and southwestern Dane County. Rep. Jenna Jacobson (D-Oregon), who presently represents the 43rd Assembly District, will face Republican Rich Johnson of New Glarus.
The ballot includes a constitutional amendment referendum on whether the state Constitution should be amended to require that only U.S. citizens 18 or older be allowed to vote in federal, state, local or school board elections.
Federal races
The presidential ballot features Democrats Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, Republicans Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, Randall Terry and Stephen Broden of the Constitution Party, Libertarians Chase Russell Oliver and Mike ter Maat, Jill Stein and Rudolph Ware of the Wisconsin Green Party, Claudia de la Cruz and Karina Garcia of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Cornel West and Melina Abdullah of the Justice for All Party, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Nicole Shanahan of the We the People Party.
Harris replaced President Joe Biden on the Democratic ticket after Biden withdrew from the race in July. Trump was elected president in 2016 but lost his reelection to Biden in 2020. Stein ran for president in 2012 and 2016. Kennedy withdrew from the race and endorsed Trump, but the state Elections Commission ruled that Kennedy had to remain on the ballot.
The U.S. Senate race features Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), who is running for her third term, against Republican Eric Hovde of Madison, former Libertarian Party candidate Phil Anderson of Middleton in the Disrupt the Corruption Party, and Thomas Leager of Madison in the America First Party.
In the Third Congressional District U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Prairie du Chien) faces Democrat Rebecca Cooke of Eau Claire, who won the three-way Democratic battle with 49.6% of the vote, in front of state Rep. Katrina Shankland (D-Stevens Point) and Eric Wilson of Eau Claire.
The Second Congressional District race is a repeat of two years ago, when U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Black Earth) defeated Republican Erik Olsen of Madison. Olsen defeated Republican Charity Barry of Mineral Point in the August primary.
DMV explains steps to obtain an ID to use at the polls
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) explains the steps needed to obtain an ID to show at the polls if the voter does not already have some form of approved ID, such as a Wisconsin driver license or ID.
While Wisconsin residents are required to show identification to cast their ballot, there is no separate “voter ID” and a federally compliant REAL ID is not required in the state to vote.
Voters who are U.S. citizens and wonder what forms of IDs are accepted at the polls should check the Wisconsin Elections Commission website.
Those looking to get their first Wisconsin ID should begin at DMV’s website wisconsindmv.gov/idcards. They should bring the required documents and apply at the nearest DMV. Appointments are available but not required.
Begin online to see a list of the required documents that are needed to present at a DMV Customer Service Center in order to obtain identification to show at the polls: wisconsindmv.gov/idcards. A process is available to U.S. citizens, free of charge, to obtain a receipt valid to take to the polls for voting if the ID card is not available in time.
DMV’s toll-free hotline at (844) 588-1069 is available for questions on obtaining an ID. Questions regarding voter eligibility, poll locations, voter registration information or other election information may be directed to the Wisconsin Elections Commission website.