Get Out and Vote!

election features more than presidential hopefuls

V1 Staff |

Donald, Hillary, Bernie, and Ted won’t be the only people whose names you’ll see on the April 5 ballot. Wisconsin voters will also be choosing among candidates for nonpartisan office, too. Here’s a rundown of some of what you’ll see when you step into the voting booth:

STATE SUPREME COURT: State Court of Appeals Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg is challenging incumbent Justice Rebecca Bradley.

EAU CLAIRE COUNTY COURT: Challenger John Manydeeds vs. incumbent Judge Brian Wright.

EAU CLAIRE CITY COUNCIL (at-large): Voters will choose five winners, and considering there are only five active candidates, they’re all shoo-ins. They include incumbent councilmembers Catherine Emmanuelle, Eric Larsen, David Strobel, and Michael Xiong and newcomer Kate Beaton. (Jody Thompson’s name will be on the ballot, but she withdrew her candidacy.)

EAU CLAIRE CITY COUNCIL (District 1): Heather DeLuka is challenging incumbent Tim Tewalt, who was appointed to the council last June. The winner will fill the remaining two years of late Councilman David Duax’s term representing this north side district.

EAU CLAIRE SCHOOL BOARD: Voters will choose four of five candidates, including incumbents Richard Spindler and Chris Hambuch-Boyle and newcomers Carolyn Gabrielsen Barstad, Jennifer Fager, and Aaron Harder.

Meanwhile, there are no contested city council seats in Chippewa Falls or Altoona, and Brendan Pratt is only one candidate for mayor in Altoona. In Menomonie, Andrew Mercil is challenging incumbent Mayor Randy Knaack.

If you’re interested in a more complete list of who you’ll see on the ballot, call your municipal clerk or visit myvote.wi.gov and enter your name and/or address.

And remember, you now need a photo ID to vote. In most cases, that can be your driver’s license (even if it’s got an old address or is expired), a military ID card, or a passport. Still, it’s best to double-check that you’ve got the right ID before Election Day, so if you’ve got questions visit bringit.wi.gov or call (866) VOTE-WIS.

Polls are open statewide from 7am to 8pm, so mark your calendar, then get ready to mark your ballot.