Legal Commentary

Wisconsin Election Thread I

By Jeralyn

(larger version here.)

Wisconsin demographics are here. There are 5.5 million people. 90% of the state is White, 6% are African Americans and 4.7% are Hispanic. By contrast, in Milwaukee County, the African American population is 26.6%.

Wisconsin is an open primary that allows same day registration. This favors Obama. So does the large student population in the state.

The weather is cold and snowy across the state today. I expect both campaigns have planned for that and have volunteers in place to drive people to the polls.

Wisconsin has 74 delegates to award. Small potatoes compared to Texas and Ohio. The question to me is whether an Obama win in Wisconsin will change the mind of voters in Texas and Ohio.

I didn't expect Hillary to win any contests in February. I don't think a loss in Wisconsin knocks her out by any means. On the other hand, if she does well, even if she doesn't win, it will be a clearer sign that her candidacy is still viable.

Updates below: 40,000 people are excluded from voting in Wisconsin today.

They are felons who are either on probation or parole. And, unlike some other states, Wisconsin prohibits them from casting their vote. Proposed legislation with backing from the Wisconsin chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, would give those who've finished their prison time the right to vote, even if they're on probation or parole.

ACLU attorney Renee Crawford says the current state law has a disproportionate impact on blacks -- and repealing the ban would allow them to make a difference in elections. She says that nearby Illinois and Michigan allow those on probation or parole to vote.

That's one thing that could have been addressed had their been a debate. I would have liked to hear both candidates express their support for an end to the disenfrancisement of former offenders.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on February 19, 2008 (boomark / email).