This report has been updatedy
Democratic Governor Tony Evers on Monday moved to halt Wisconsin’s spring election scheduled for Tuesday, amid public health concerns from the coronavirus pandemic.
Evers said he’s taking a stand for the people of the state. “They’re sitting there saying ‘I’m scared, I’m scared of going to the polls. I’m afraid for my future.’ At the end of the day, somebody’s got to stand up for those folks.”
Evers issued an executive order pushing the election to June 9th. Republican legislative leaders said they’d appeal to the state Supreme Court.
“This is it. There’s not a plan B, there’s not a plan C. We’re moving ahead with this. We believe the Supreme Court will support us in this.”
His order also calls lawmakers back into session this week to decide whether the election should be held at a different date.
In the absence of legislative action, today I signed Executive order #74 suspending in-person voting for the April 7 spring election until June 9, 2020.
— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) April 6, 2020
In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Evers said voters “don’t care about the fighting between Democrats and Republicans – they’re scared. I’m standing up for those people who are afraid and that’s why I’m doing this.”
Republican legislative leaders who want to keep polls open adjourned both chambers on Monday without acting on a special session to delay the election as called by Evers on Friday.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) released the following statement.
Joint Statement with @SenFitzgerald: We are immediately challenging this executive order in the Wisconsin State Supreme Court. pic.twitter.com/76QItl3qxE
— Speaker Robin Vos (@SpeakerVos) April 6, 2020
“We are immediately challenging this executive order in the Wisconsin State Supreme Court.
“The clerks of this state should stand ready to proceed with the election. The governor’s executive order is clearly an unconstitutional overreach.
“This is another last-minute flip-flop from the governor on the April 7th election. The governor himself has repeatedly acknowledged he can’t move the election. Just last week a federal judge said he did not have the power to cancel the election and Governor Evers doesn’t either. Governor Evers can’t unilaterally run the state.”