Turnout in the Wisconsin recalls has been "wild" across the state, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. This morning John Nichols tweeted that there were "lines out the door, 20-minute waits" at polling places on the north side of Milwaukee, way up from recent elections.
That scene in Milwaukee, in particular, is not great news for Governor Walker and company. Last year a group supporting the recall drive held block parties there to help people get registered and vote in the recalls happening then.
For their efforts, the union-affiliated Wisconsin Jobs Now got accused on the right of bribing voters with free BBQ. Prosecutors in Milwaukee cleared Wisconsin Jobs Now. And today election officials in Milwaukee had to call in extra workers to accommodate demand at the polls.
(Image below from 2011 block party, by Peter Rickman.)






Way to WI! I would love to "Like" this but gave up Facebook when co-creator gave up citizenship to not pay taxes.
That'll show him. He's a douche, but all you're doing is preventing Rachel's story from getting out to your friends. Nose, face, spite?
No, it's cool. Facebook is soooo lame anyway. Just Tweet it :)
B/c Facebook is the ONLY way to let anyone know about anything.
Tell me another!
Twitter.
I wish they had coverage of Wisconsin all through the day so I could see the people at work. I just love what's happening here and want to be a part of it.
Just voted in a rural town in NW Wisconsin. There was quite a wait to vote.
What I'm really excited about is that people are voting! Low voter turnouts, win/lose/draw have been shabby, at the best, over the past few years. It looks like the voters are out en masse in Wisconsin. No one has a right to complain if they haven't taken the time to vote. It's simple, easy and effective. Don't be fooled by anyone, today is your turn to cast your ballot.
Walker, Kochs and others will hopefully be shown the door.
It's every individual's right to choose how s/he will vote. I hope that people will grasp the concept of the power of the people. Voting is a very important right to exercise. Whether you agree with my opinion or not, please exercise this very important act. It's your chance to be involved with your government, making it fair to all.
A BIG ^5 to everyone in WI. for taking their resonsibility to vote to heart. By standing in that line for however long it takes is your right and priviledge. I love to see the walkers, strollers, kids with their bikes. This says that people of all generations are participating in the process. I wish the people of WI. the best in this recall election. I DO NOT want to see WI. go by the way of TX (where I live). Corporate controlled government is NOT fun.
Titan,
No biggie, but that picture is from a "get our the vote" BBQ in 2011. :)
It is good to hear the high voter turnout. That's the way it should be for EVERY election.
Hey, voting in California today as well! :P and yes I did already take care of 'me civic duty!' go Brownly (I am so bummed Capps won't be my own congress person any longer, she's the best!) Okay have fun in Wisconsin. MissBHavens as usual
Outstanding job Wisconsin.
becoming the rally point of the country and now a shining example on how to get out the vote!
we all are badgers, Packers, Cheese-heads and just plain Wisconsinites!! Go Go Good Guys!
It does me good to see people energized and ready to vote, regardless of who they are voting for... but I do hope walker gets canned; facisem is never funny.
I hope to soon hear the satisfying thud of Walker and company hitting the metaphorical curb.
i worked the polls in low-income districts in palm beach county florida for several years. we coordinated sharing cell phones, rides, giving water, sandwiches, child care for people so they could stand in line in the hot sun during lunch hour, etc, to vote. We of course had fewer machines per capita, no place indoors to wait and stay cool, as in more affluent precincts, and it really took a whole lot of people helping each other to make it possible and the tiniest bit comfortable for people to vote.
Way to go, Wisconsin! The whole country is watching you and praying for you! Show the world that the Koch Brothers, et al, and all that big corporate money can't keep down the spirit of a state hellbent on doing the right thing! Get that criminal out of office and his cronies, too. Time to take back your state! Best wishes from RI.
Looks like this recall election has galvanized the voters in Wisconsin.
The whole Country is hoping and praying you "Sconnies" oust that Tea Bagging GOP Koch Bros. POS!!! :D
Can't wait to see this hater of the Wisconsin/American working-class kicked unceremoniously to the curb! Let this be a lesson to all those holier-than-thou types who have conveniently forgotten where the real power lies.
This is great news and hope the State of Wisconsin sends a loud and clear message to Scott Walker and the rest of the scum known as the Republican party
FORWARD WISCONSIN! I start a Get Out the Vote shift in TEN MINUTES and I'm already FIRED UP and DEFINITELY READY TO GO. Over ONE MILLION doors were knocked on. On MONDAY alone, during ONE SHIFT, the AVERAGE number of GOTV calls was nearly 28,000 an HOUR. Since there were two PM shifts that's a LOT of PHONES being contacted.....cell or land line. I hope that 'former' Gov. Walker has his resume ready and I also hope that Rynce Priebus has HIS ready!! To the MOOON, Walker--to the MOON!
Wisconsin, making us proud to be American! Fight the fascists! Show the Kochs how much money they wasted! Tell the Repubs and Tea Party we're over them...time to rebuild OUR America!
For those who wish to vote for Walker this day just remember this is in his own words Phase I and he also could not answer the question on right to work legislation:
Walkers to do list:repeal equal pay enforcement act check, repeal minori...ty participation program for federal contracts check, limit the amount that can be negotiated in salaries check, start the process of putting people off of medicare and badgercare by telling the federal government we have a budget deficit check (but wait he said we have a balanced budget ,)make it harder to sue a company for faulty product check, make sure Fitzgerald has gerrymandered the redistricting check, set up legal defense fund check, Appoint cathy shepp to the DNR check (thats like putting lindsey lohan in charge of a rehab facility), Appoint a nurse from the Heritage foundation to run our Department of Health check(Brought her back from Texas after doing a speaking engagement for the Heritage Foundation), pass the voter id bill check (unconstitutional), limit Planned Parenthood check, Pass teach abstinence only check (how did that work for Sarah Palin's daughter), rescind the 810million for the rail system check (leaving us responsible for the repairs to the Hiawatha line oops didn't mean to do that),give a supporter son a job check, give another a job with a raise to Cindy Archer check(who is also being investigated), pass the wetlands bill giving corporations more power to destroy them check, go pick up those donations from out of town special interest to help my campaign check (only 25 million)promise to divide and conquer not just public unions but private unions as well and make this a right to work state almost done(just got to get pass this pesky recall),Bring in the Deer Czar also from Texas,cut 1.6 billion from education,cut 30% from UW, now if this is something to be proud of I guess robbing a bank is also something to be proud of.
SO THIS IS ABOUT WAY MORE THAN ACT10 WHICH BY THE WAY I DID NOT LIST. copy and pass this on to your friends
Good for Wisconsin. I live in precinct 152 in Austin, Tx where I am proud to say we regulalry have over 90% voter turnout, (I vote every election). That explains why Austin is a blue island in a sea of red. The key is voter turnout. I hope this sends Walker back to the private sector where he belongs being that he wants to run government as if it were a business --- that phrase "run government as if it were a business" reeks of fascism and lack of concern for the masses.
Many of us here are hoping that #1 Walker is booted out of Madison and #2 he is indicted and sent to jail. (A defense fund only goes so far. . . .)
William, my neighbor. I live in 153 - lol. How did you like primary day here? I got a good twist for my voting. The polling station net door to where I live was NOT my polling station. I got to drive over to Samsung are to vote --- but I DID make the drive. ^5 to Lloyd Doggett who slammed the republicans AGAIN. You know that by him einning they will redistrict Austin AGAIN and we will have NO representation from Austin bu be will be deluted down by the rural areas.
"Because we are the people." My favorite line at the end of The Grapes of Wrath.
This election is about corporations (read Fascism as they are a political party) vs democracy .
If the money wins , say hello to president Willard as they will know it works and will bury Obama in negative ads.
If Barret wins 3...2...1 lawyers on your mark get set SUE. There will be lawsuits and caterwauling about voter fraud (quick over there - Acorn and the Black Panthers )
They ain't going to be happy about this "Democracy" stuff
Go Wisconsin! Show us how it is done. My thoughts, hopes, and dreams are with you.
Not much to my California election this time, but my partner and I sent in our early-voting cards last week. Done and done. Time to start biting my nails, I guess.
Then starting tomorrow: what will the Dems do without unions? If the people can't make a good case to keep unions in each state, then what?
Lead us on, Rachel.
"Lead us on, Rachel."
Roemer - Maddow 2016! ;-)
Just got back from the polls after voting for Walker! Barrett has no plan. If he wins, and a law gets passed, do we recall him, since he did not promise anything??? At least Walker did what he promised!
Walker campaigned on
Who knew?
Walker did what he (secretly) promised his big-money backers he'd do... and lied to everyone else.
BTW- this blog thread must be jumping (yay!) - I keep getting server errors as I try to enter this comment.
When it comes right down to it, I can't believe that Walker's supporters are as fired up as his opponents. I think the "voter intensity" polling was wrong. I think the anti-Walker crowd has been under-polled.
Today is the only poll that matters, and I hope the high turnout bodes well for Barrett. They'll get the Senate too. And they'll have a chance at regaining the House in November.
Forward, Badgers!
Hilarious: "Wisconsin Jobs Now got accused on the right of bribing voters with free BBQ." Cause anyone will vote against their interests for a slab of ribs! Koch Bros donate millions, Unions donate corn on the cob.
Just got back from voting for Walker! If Barret wins, do we recall if a law gets passed while he is governor? He did not promise anything!
You voted twice? In other words, you're a Republican who committed voter fraud?
Maybe this is a "form comment" meant to get people to not go to the polls. Is there anyone who can check if it is more than one person sending both of these messages?
Why do you think women deserve to not be paid the same wage for the same work?
Walker certainly did not campaign on union-busting in 2010. And the unions made all the actual wage concessions, etc. needed to balance the budget. But since balancing the budget was only an excuse for union-busting, that wasn't enough.
Wow. You people really have no clue what you are talking about. Keep drinking that Union Kool-Aid!!! lol. Look, its not 1940 anymore... where is it that you think all these jobs are going to come from? The Government? Nope. From Corporations, large Corporations that will create more jobs once this mess has been cleaned up. Barrett has no plan, no direction, and no idea on what he would do should he become Governor. Walker has a plan, and its working.
A-Real...didn't I see that WI ranks last in job creation under Walker? That's a plan that's working in your mind?
And we're supposed to believe you when you say we have no clue? Jobs don't come floating down from the goodness our benevolent Corporations' hearts. Jobs are created by DEMAND for products and services. Corporations don't make products until there's demand for them. Duh.