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Here's your Daily News Roundup.
For Civic Media News, I'm Connie Feldman.
Today's the day Wisconsin voters head to the polls to decide who they want to be our next state leader.
Wisconsin election officials say nearly 30% of our state has already done that.
As of last Friday, the Wisconsin Election Commission says nearly 800,000 votes are already in for midterm elections.
That includes more than 450,000 early in-person votes.
and more than 310,000 mail-in ballots.
The number of Wisconsinites casting in-person absentee ballots on the first day of early voting surged by 65% over the 2022 midterm election.
All but five of Wisconsin's 72 counties saw higher numbers of people handing in their ballots in person on the first day of early voting than they did four years ago.
The number of early voting ballots arriving in the mail, though, is down from 2022.
Election officials say that hints at a shift in
voting behavior tied to concerns about postal delays and President Donald Trump's unsuccessful attempts to restrict who can vote by mail.
As Wisconsin voters head to the polls today, Civic Media's Maddie Schaefer has some helpful reminders to make sure you have everything you need to have your voice counted.
Polling
places across the state are open from 7 a.m.
until 8 p.m.
today, and anyone in line by 8 p.m.
will still be allowed to vote.
Voters are reminded to bring an acceptable form of photo ID, such as a Wisconsin driver's license, state ID, or U.S.
passport.
Those who haven't registered to vote can still register at their polling place today, but they'll need to provide proof of residence.
Anyone returning an absentee ballot must also make sure it reaches their municipal clerk by 8 p.m.
in order to be counted.
If
you're unsure of where to go to cast your ballot, visit the My Vote Wisconsin website for your polling location.
Wisconsin's gubernatorial candidates have been talking to voters all around our state in the days leading up to this midterm election.
Civic media's James Kelly shares what each candidate had to say to voters at their recent stops in the western part of our state.
During a campaign stop in Chippewa Falls on Friday, Republican nominee and Congressman Tom Tiffany highlighted his plan to return the state's budget surplus to taxpayers.
He also reiterated his intent to lower property taxes and fully fund Wisconsin's public school system as districts across the state propose operational referendums yet again.
I know we can do both.
Reduce taxes as well as fully fund our schools because I did it a decade ago.
When I was on the finance committee in the legislature, we passed the largest increase in public school funding in a decade.
That was the 2019 budget.
And yet we also gave a tax cut.
We can do both.
We can give people some of their money back, but we can also fully fund education.
Democratic nominee and Milwaukee County executive David Crowley also visited Eau Claire on Saturday morning to energize voters around affordability issues.
Asked how he would seek to fully fund public education and lower property taxes, Crowley pointed to reevaluating the state's school funding formula and increasing revenue in other areas.
You do tax these billionaires, one, making sure that they're paying their fair share to come towards our communities.
Then you put together the Blue Ribbon Commission.
It's not just about short-term fixes.
We need long-term sustainability in our shared revenue formula, as well as our school funding formula.
It's not working right now, and many of our schools are hurting because of it.
And then the last thing is, you know, bring marijuana to fruition, right?
Legalizing that will help bring in, you know, millions of dollars that we've been losing to Minnesota, Michigan,
and Illinois.
I'm James Kelly for Civic Media News.
We'll see what the voters have to say later tonight.
And that's your state news update.
I'm Connie Feldman for Civic Media News.
The Badgers win their opener.
Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with Sports College basketball.
The Wisconsin Badgers beat the Denver Pioneers 75 to 68 in their season opener.
Elon Elmer led the Badgers with 18 points, but head coach Greg Gard says the team knows they can play better.
Regardless of score, regardless of opponent, we talk about how we want to play the game and we didn't.
I mean, I said it in the locker room, but they know it.
They're an intelligent group.
In Milwaukee, Marquette won their season opener 78 to 43 over the Mercy.
The Brewers making moves, picking up the option on catcher William Contreras, while pitcher Dustin May becomes a free agent.
College football Luke Fickle watched the tape of the Badgers 30 to nothing loss at Iowa over the weekend.
I'm not sitting here saying I've.
got any answers for you and they're not pointing any fingers at anybody or anything because all three phases of the game we were completely manhandled for 60 plus minutes.
That's the Badgers head coach Luke Fickle with sports on Mike Clemens.
It is going to be cloudy with scattered rain off and on through the day today especially this afternoon are high in the mid to upper 60s tonight.
More rain likely an isolated thundershower or two possible.
We're going to drop into the 50s tomorrow.
Cloudy cooler with more rain are high in the upper 50s.
to low 60s.
I'm
meteorologist Sean Cable.