La Crosse DA on election fight, “We should have worked this out a long time ago.”

The election is on. 

Despite a last-minute attempt by Governor Evers to delay Wisconsin’s spring primary because of the coronavirus, in-person voting will go ahead on schedule Tuesday around the state. 

On Monday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court blocked the delay, and then the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the plan to continue absentee balloting for a few more days. 

La Crosse County district attorney Tim Gruenke is disappointed that state leaders were still fighting over having an election less than 24 hours before the polls opened.

“We should have worked this out a long time ago,” Gruenke said Monday on La Crosse Talk PM. “There should have been some resolution weeks ago, when we knew this was going to be a problem.”    

Among the offices at stake in Tuesday’s balloting are the presidential primary, a state Supreme Court seat, and mayors in cities including Milwaukee and Onalaska.                      

In the city of La Crosse, only 8 polling places will be open, compared to the usual 13.      

There were concerns that terms of elected officials on the Tuesday ballot would be extended if the election were put off. 

The La Crosse County Board passed a resolution last month to let board members stay in office temporarily, if voting had been delayed past April 20. 

All 29 seats on the board are up for election on Tuesday.