Get out, vote

For the sixth — and final time — this year, Douglas County voters head to the polls, this time to determine local, state and federal races.

District Attorney Dan Blank, County Clerk Sue Sandvick and Treasurer Linda Helenius are running unopposed for their respective offices; Register of Deeds Gayle Wahner successfully defended her seat in the August primary.

In the 73rd District state assembly, Nick Milroy, also is running unopposed this year.

However, people living in Highland, Brule and Cloverland face a choice after statewide redistricting placed them in the 74th Assembly District.

Voters there will have to decide between incumbent Democrat Janet Bewley of Ashland and her Republican challenger, John Sendra, a Mercer businessman.

However, it’s the presidential race that prompted Superior City Clerk Terri Kalan to order enough ballots for 100 percent of registered voters after 89 percent of the city’s population turned out in 2008 to elect a president.

While election laws changed this year, Kalan said her office has been very busy with early voters. During the first week of voting, 445 cast ballots this year, compared to 379 in 2008, and 342 cast ballots the first three days of this week, compared to 328 the same days in 2008.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, Democrats, are facing a Republican challenge from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Janesville.

In the run for the seat held by U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, who is retiring from his senate seat at the end of his term in January, former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson is facing off against U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat.

And one-term Republican Congressman Sean Duffy is facing a challenge from one-term Wisconsin Sen. Pat Kreitlow.

People may register and vote in person in the City Clerk’s Office through 5 p.m. today, but no office registration or absentee voting is permitted after that until Tuesday’s election.

The biggest change for city residents who haven’t cast a ballot in the last year is the council’s decision to consolidate polling locations.

Residents of the 5th, 7th and 9th Council Districts will vote where they did before, but voters living in other districts will head to new poll locations.

Voters in the 5th and 7th Districts — Poll Site No. 3 — who vote at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College, and those in the 9th who vote at Billings Park Civic Center — Poll Site No. 4 — continue to vote in those locations. Residents of the 8th District who voted at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, also vote at the Billings Park Civic Center.

Other changes in city polling locations will have people who voted at Bryant Elementary School and Wessman Arena in the past voting at Poll Site No. 1, the Richard I. Bong Airport, 4804 Hammond Ave.; Belgian Club and Christ Lutheran Church voters casting ballots at Poll Site No. 2, Zion Lutheran Church, 2022 E. Second St.; and voters who cast ballots at the Government Center and Peter Rich Community Center voting at Poll Site No. 5, the Salvation Army, 916 Hughitt Ave.

Rural residents of Douglas County continue to cast ballots at their usual polling locations. Residents living in the villages cast their votes in their community — at the Lake Nebagamon Auditorium, village halls in Oliver, Poplar and Superior, and Solon Springs Community Center.

Polling locations are at town halls in most rural communities except in Maple and Oakland. Ballots are cast at the community center in Maple and at the fire hall/town garage in Oakland.

For more information, visit www.douglascountywi.org/index.aspx?NID=140 or call the municipal clerk in your community. Voters can confirm their polling location and view a sample ballot at https://myvote.wi.gov.

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