>> YOU'LL NOTICE WE ARE COMING
% TO YOU FROM OUTSIDE THE PBS
% WISCONSIN STUDIOS.
% ENGINEERS AND SUPPORT STAFF ARE
% REMOTELY BRINGING YOU OUR
% PICTURE.
% OUR INTERVIEW GUESTS WILL APPEAR
% VIA VIDEO CONFERENCE.
% AND OUR REPORTERS ARE
% INGENIOUSLY PRODUCING STORIES
% OUT OF THEIR HOMES.
% OUR WEB NEWS EDITORS ARE TURNING
% ARTICLES FOR ONLINE READING.
% WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING OF HOW
% "HERE AND NOW" IS WORKING RIGHT
% NOW, WE BEGIN WITH A REPORT ON
% TUESDAY'S ELECTION FROM WHICH WE
% WILL NOT SEE RESULTS UNTIL
% MONDAY DUE TO AN EXTENSION FOR
% CLERKS TO COUNT ABSENTEE
% BALLOTS.
% ZAC SCHULTZ REPORTS ON THE
% POTENTIAL FALLOUT
% FROM OUR SPRING ELECTION.
% >> IT JUST MAKES NO SENSE TODAY.
% >> NO.
% >> WISCONSIN'S 2020 PANDEMIC
% ELECTION WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR
% MANY THINGS.
% >> WE ONLY HAVE FIVE POLLING
% PLACES IN THE CITY AND I'VE BEEN
% OUT HERE FOR ALMOST TWO HOURS.
% >> THERE WERE LONG LINES IN
% MILWAUKEE FULL OF VOTERS WEARING
% MASKS.
% >> YOU ARE INCREDIBLY SAFE TO GO
% UP.
% >> ASSEMBLY SPEAKER ROBIN VOS
% WORKED AS A POLL WORKER IN
% BURLINGTON.
% >> I SIGNED UP FOR AN ABSENTEE
% BALLOT TWO WEEKS AGO AND NEVER
% GOT THEM.
% >> VOTERS WERE ANGRY AT A
% SITUATION THAT REQUIRED THEM TO
% RISK CONTRACTING THE COVID-19 IN
% ORDER TO VOTE.
% >> IT WAS TRULY A TRAGEDY.
% HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VOTERS
% WERE BASICALLY FORCED TO MAKE A
% VERY CRUEL DECISION.
% >> RICHARD SAKS FILED SUIT IN
% FEDERAL COURT TRYING TO DELAY
% THE ELECTION.
% JUDGE CONLEY RULED HE DIDN'T
% HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO STOP THE
% ELECTION, BUT HE DID SAY HE
% COULD REVIEW THE RESULTS.
% >> HE WAS AMENABLE TO REVIEWING
% WHETHER OR NOT WHAT WE WERE TOLD
% ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
% >> SAKS SAID HE HAS EVIDENCE OF
% HUNDREDS, LIKELY THOUSANDS OF
% CASES OF VOTER
% DISENFRANCHISEMENT WHERE VOTERS
% WERE NOT ABLE TO CAST A BALLOT
% DUE TO LONG WAIT TIMES OR AN
% INABILITY TO GET AN ABSENTEE
% BALLOT.
% >> THE ISSUE WE WOULD PRESENT TO
% HIM WOULD BE VERY SERIOUS
% EVIDENCE ABOUT VOTERS WHO WERE
% DENIED THE RIGHT TO VOTE AND HOW
% THE DENTAL OF THEIR RIGHT TO
% VOTE CHANGED THE COURSE OF THIS
% ELECTION.
% >> MY GUESS IS THERE WILL BE
% SOME LITIGATION.
% WHEN A GROUP IS UNHAPPY, THEY GO
% TO COURT.
% >> BARRY BURDEN IS A POLITICAL
% SCIENTIST PROFESSOR AT
% UW-MADISON.
% HE SAID SPRING ELECTIONS CAN BE
% VERY DIFFERENT DEPENDING WHAT IS
% ON THE BALLOT.
% SO IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO PROVE
% VOTERS STAYED HOME DUE TO THE
% PANDEMIC.
% >> DISPARITIES BETWEEN RACIAL
% AND ETHIC GROUPS ARE AN
% IMPORTANT FACTOR.
% BUT IT'S HARD TO DO IN
% WISCONSIN.
% THE VOTER FILE, DATABASE,
% DOESN'T INCLUDE THE RACE OF THE
% VOTER.
% >> HE SAYS THEY'RE STUDYING
% TURNOUT NUMBERS IN
% AFRICAN-AMERICAN WARDS IN
% MILWAUKEE BECAUSE UNDER THE
% VOTING RIGHTS ACT, MINORITY
% VOTERS HAVE SPECIAL PROTECTIONS.
% >> AND IF IN FACT MINORITY
% VOTERS AS A GROUP WERE
% SUPPORTING A PARTICULAR
% CANDIDATE THAT THEY WANTED TO
% SEE ELECTED AND THAT CANDIDATE
% WASN'T ELECTED BECAUSE THE
% REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE INSISTED
% UPON THOSE VOTERS COMING OUT TO
% VOTE IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC,
% THAT WOULD BE IN MY MIND A VERY
% SERIOUS VIOLATION OF ALL THOSE
% VOTERS' RIGHT TO VOTE.
% >> THE QUESTION THEN IS WHAT
% COULD A JUDGE DO TO FIX THE
% PROBLEM AFTER THE ELECTION.
% >> IN TERMS OF WHAT REMEDY WE'D
% BE LOOKING FOR, I'M NOT CERTAIN.
% >> I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE REMEDY
% WOULD BE AT THIS POINT.
% IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT A JUDGE
% WOULD ORDER THAT AN ELECTION IS
% RERUN.
% >> PROFESSOR BURDEN SAYS ONE
% ANSWER IS TO LOOK TO THE NEXT
% ELECTION.
% >> THERE MAY BE SOME REMEDIES
% THAT GET PUT IN PLACE FOR FUTURE
% ELECTIONS, MAYBE MANDATES THAT
% ARE PLACED ON ELECTION
% AUTHORITIES FOR THE
% AUGUST PRIMARY OR THE
% NOVEMBER ELECTION.
% >> SAKS AGREES THIS WON'T BE
% LIMITED TO THIS SPRING.
% >> WE HAVE TO TAKE A VERY
% SERIOUS LOOK THAT THIS COULD BE
% SOMEWHAT OF A DRESS REHEARSAL
% FOR OBSTACLES IN THE
% NOVEMBER ELECTION.
% >> REPORTING FROM MADISON, I'M
% ZAC SCHULTZ FOR "HERE AND NOW."