Michelle Obama encourages in-person Wisconsin voters to ‘prioritize’ safety

Former first lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday encouraged Wisconsin residents to “prioritize your safety and the safety of others” if they are voting in person amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

“If you have an absentee ballot, make sure to drop it off or mail it in today,” Obama reminded her Twitter followers. “If you are going to vote in person, make sure to prioritize your safety and the safety of others.”

Wisconsin’s Election Day is today, Tuesday, April 7th. If you have an absentee ballot, make sure to drop it off or mail it in today. If you are going to vote in person, make sure to prioritize your safety and the safety of others. https://t.co/mBJfxFKXXH

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) April 7, 2020

Wisconsinites thus far have faced long lines at the limited number of available polling stations. Many residents wore masks, but social media users noted that not all were standing the recommended six feet apart.

In the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, THIS is the line for in person voting as the polls open for Election Day in Wisconsin. #COVID19 #ElectionDay pic.twitter.com/WplsSHy9RF

— Omar Jimenez (@OmarJimenez) April 7, 2020

Polls open in minutes. Here’s a look at the line in Waukesha, the city’s only polling location pic.twitter.com/Uqg08gannt

— Matt Smith (@mattsmith_news) April 7, 2020

The state’s Election Day will carry on despite concerns about in-person voting during the pandemic, which has infected as many as 2,440 people in Wisconsin so far, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday night that Wisconsin cannot accept absentee ballots postmarked by April 13, only those postmarked by April 7 — a measure that would have expanded options to avoid in-person voting.

The decision came just hours after the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned Gov. Tony Evers’s (D) executive order to postpone Tuesday’s vote.

Evers said in a statement that he could not “in good conscience stand by and do nothing” as the state braced for a crush of voters at the polls despite warnings from public health officials that people should not gather together in public spaces.

“Frankly, there’s no good answer to this problem — I wish it were easy,” Evers said. “I have been asking everyone to do their part to help keep our families, our neighbors, and our communities safe, and I had hoped that the Legislature would do its part — just as the rest of us are — to help keep people healthy and safe.”

The Supreme Court decision was blasted by Wisconsin state’s Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler, who wrote that he was “about to explode” over the ruling. 

“The five GOP US Supreme Court justices just overruled two lower courts and shut off extended absentee voting in Wisconsin,” he tweeted.

“The Supreme Court of the United States legislated from the bench today, following Trump team’s orders and writing a new election law to disenfranchise untold thousands of Wisconsin voters and consign an unknown number of Wisconsinites to their deaths,” he added. “This is now etched into history. Donald Trump doesn’t care how many of his followers die—and how many people they infect and kill—if it helps him maintain power.”

This is now etched into history. Donald Trump doesn’t care how many of his followers die—and how many people they infect and kill—if it helps him maintain power. https://t.co/w6Mpzy0rLm

— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) April 6, 2020