Swing State

While the nation’s eyes are locked on Wisconsin because of its potentially critical role in the presidential campaign, three races for state Senate — in the 10th, 30th and 32nd districts — could hand Republicans a veto-proof grasp on the chamber and guide the direction of state government for years to come.

Wisconsin election officials have had six months since April’s chaotic presidential primary election to figure out what safe and efficient voting looks like during a global pandemic. They've made improvements, but many of the same challenges remain.

2016 polling in the presidential race largely got it wrong, both in Wisconsin and nationwide, predicting a Hillary Clinton victory over Donald Trump. So, what were some of the problems with polls four years ago? And what are pollsters doing in 2020 to try to be more accurate?

Wisconsin has made great strides since the April election, but some worry the challenges they faced in the spring could keep them from voting in November.

The COVID-19 pandemic and a growing number of campus shutdowns are adding confusion to an already complicated process many college students must overcome in order to vote in Wisconsin.

This was supposed to be the week when tens of thousands of people descended on Milwaukee for the Democratic National Convention. But with COVID-19 forcing the event online, and upending sporting events and festivals, the city’s hopes of a monumental summer have been dashed.

Both Democrats and Republicans are eyeing Wisconsin as an electoral prize in 2020, but the state's status as a swing state goes back decades. From battles between nativist and immigrant voters at the turn of the last century to the rise of moderate swing voters in the 1960s, Wisconsin has a long history as a political pendulum.

An incumbent justice but new to campaigning, Daniel Kelly has focused on traditional appeals to conservative voters in his bid for a full term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Young Democratic voters overwhelmingly support Bernie Sanders. In 2016, he received more youth votes in the Wisconsin primary election than Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. But, will youth support be enough to carry him forward?

Wisconsin's voter turnout in 2016 was the lowest it had been for nearly 20 years. And predominantly black neighborhoods in Milwaukee reported some of the biggest declines. With 2020 right around the corner, the Democratic and Republican parties are courting Milwaukee's black voters. 

Wisconsin's 2016 presidential primary was the last election that Donald Trump lost, facing stark opposition from the state's Republican establishment. But four years later he has come to be warmly embraced by most in Wisconsin's GOP.