April election

Spring election: McCarthy elected mayor of Gillett

Published by admin on Tue, 04/14/2020 - 10:07am

OCONTO — Interim Gillett Mayor Josh McCarthy can drop the “interim” from his title.

McCarthy, appointed by the City Council after the departure of former Mayor James Beaton in October, earned 63% of the vote in the April 7 election, but – because of a federal court ruling about counting absentee ballots – he had to wait six extra days to learn he received 203 votes to 119 for challenger Jerry Luther.

McCarthy campaigned on a theme of stability, pledging to hang onto the post that has been held by five people since January 2016.

Oconto County Board

Suring voters OK revenue-cap referendum

Published by admin on Tue, 04/14/2020 - 10:03am

OCONTO — Suring Public School District voters have given the school board permission to exceed state-imposed revenue limits for another five years.

The April 7 referendum question passed with 57.6% approval. The tally, when votes were counted Monday, was 768 yes, 565 no.

Superintendent Kelly Casper did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Tuesday morning.

Voters file suit as election results due

Published by admin on Mon, 04/13/2020 - 4:39pm

MADISON — Municipal clerks across Wisconsin on Monday were set to start tallying votes from last week’s chaotic presidential primary, a count that was delayed for several days by the legal struggle over whether to postpone the election due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Voters brave coronavirus pandemic to cast ballots

Published by admin on Wed, 04/08/2020 - 2:30pm

SHAWANO — Voters in Shawano County and around the state Tuesday turned out in unexpectedly high numbers in the midst of a pandemic to cast their ballots in an election forced by a Republican-controlled Legislature and conservative majority on the state Supreme Court.

Municipal clerks around the state had struggled with how to safely handle election day voting while a statewide stay-at-home order is in place to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Judge extends absentee ballot counting until April 13

Published by admin on Fri, 04/03/2020 - 1:28pm

Tuesday is officially election day for the spring election and presidential primary, but voters will still be able to have their absentee ballots counted until April 13, according to a judge’s ruling handed down Thursday.

In response to several lawsuits seeking to postpone the April 7 election over coronavirus concerns, Judge William Conley of the Western District of Wisconsin federal court extended the receipt of absentee ballots to 4 p.m. on Monday, April 13.

Bonduel taking extra precautions for Tuesday’s election

Published by admin on Thu, 04/02/2020 - 8:06pm

BONDUEL — The village of Bonduel is taking special precautions for Tuesday’s election day voting in light of health and safety concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clerk/Treasurer Michelle Maroszek said the village will be following the recommended guidelines for distance and numbers of voters/people in village hall at one time.

“All workers will have personal protective equipment available to wear and use,” she said. “Sneeze guards will be used at registration tables and individual pens and styluses we be provided for each voter to use.”

Shawano will move voting outdoors on Tuesday

Published by admin on Thu, 04/02/2020 - 8:01pm

SHAWANO — The city of Shawano will hold its voting outdoors during Tuesday’s spring election and presidential primary out of concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Voters will cast their ballots under large tents in the City Hall parking lot, 127 S. Sawyer St., in an effort to keep poll workers and residents as safe as possible, the city said.

“We are planning on having the ballot machines available for the voters to place their opti-scan ballot in the machine as they do at a typical election,” City Clerk Lesley Nemetz said.

Residents face Friday deadline for absentee voting

Published by admin on Tue, 03/31/2020 - 10:41am

MADISON — Voters have until Thursday to request an absentee ballot for the state and local spring elections and have until Friday to vote in-person to avoid potential COVID-19 exposure at polls on April 7.

Due to the few remaining days before the deadline, the best option for voting is to contact the municipal or town clerk and verify a time to cast a ballot early, according to the state elections commission and Rick Stadelman, Richmond town clerk.

Wisconsin prepares field hospitals as virus cases increase

Published by admin on Mon, 03/30/2020 - 7:36pm

MADISON — Wisconsin is preparing to open field hospitals and voluntary isolation centers in anticipation of a surge in COVID-19 patients, with cases expected to peak in another week or more, Gov. Tony Evers and state health leaders said Monday.

“We are headed into the worst of this, folks,” Evers said on a conference call. “I’m sure many of us would like to wake up from this nightmare tomorrow morning and say it never happened, but the responsible thing is to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”

Oconto County voters have a handful of decisions

Published by admin on Mon, 03/30/2020 - 11:52am

OCONTO — Two local referendum questions and a handful of contested races are on the ballot in several Oconto County municipalities when voters go to the polls (or send in their absentee ballots) for the April 7 spring election.

The Suring School District is asking voters for permission to exceed state-imposed revenue limits by $900,000 yearly for five years starting with the 2021-22 academic year. It would be a renewal of a five-year commitment approved in 2015, under which the district has been exceeding the limits by $750,000 annually.