Ben Wikler on Wisconsin’s Voting Results and a Path Forward

Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin calls early voting turnout unprecedented and the importance to protect voter rights

It’s the final sprint with the end of a pivotal election (almost) in sight. Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, shares his insights on the early voting surge, Wisconsin’s voting results, and a path forward with Dom Salvia, host of The Dom Salvia Show, 

Every vote matters. And it could be your vote that saves democracy.

Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin

“Fired up,” Wickler explains.. “The wind is at our backs. Early voting data shows significant enthusiasm, especially in Democratic strongholds.” 

The number in Milwaukee? A staggering 13% of in-person early voters registered on the spot and many are first-time voters. The number is 10% in Dane County.

“These are people who’ve never been polled, and they’re showing up,” he says. “It’s a surge of previously unaccounted-for voters, likely leaning Democratic.”

Milwaukee and Madison have historically favored Democrats. But Wikler points to unexpected trends elsewhere, like in traditionally Republican regions.

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LISTEN to the entire conversation here:

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“A lot of these early votes are coming from areas that weren’t even supportive of Donald Trump during his own presidential primary,” Wikler says. “There may be a growing divide within the GOP. Reports from his visits to 43 Wisconsin counties indicate more Republicans expressing support for Kamala Harris than Democrats switching to Trump.”

Wickler also tells Salvia about the importance of voter turnout to combat potential legal challenges. And he points at the state’s fraught history, where narrow margins have shaped presidential outcomes, citing four of the last six elections came down to less than one percentage point.

“Really, the best way to prevent an election from being contested is to win by as much as possible,” he stresses..

There are more than 105,000 absentee ballots to be processed, and Wikler says Republicans are already prepared to challenge the integrity of the count. But he says  election officials, including Governor Tony Evers and a bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission, are committed to upholding democratic processes.

“Every vote matters,” he says. “And it could be your vote that saves democracy.”