On the Ballot

COUNTY:

• Milwaukee County clerk, district attorney, treasurer and register of deeds

STATE:

• 4th State Senate District
• 10th State Assembly District

FEDERAL:

• 4th Congressional District
• U.S. Senate
• President

LIVE 2012 ELECTION RESULTS

Presidential and U.S. Senate results only represent votes in Shorewood. Congressional and state legislative results are for entire district.

LAST UPDATE: 10:42 p.m.
 

6:34 p.m. Tuesday:

The small Democrat office across from St. Mary’s Hospital on Maryland Ave. near Shorewood held roughly 20 volunteers with three hours to go before the polls closed on Tuesday night.

However, within 15 minutes of my arrival, only five volunteers remained after the office had cleared out. Where did they all go?

“We’re in a total last minute effort to get to people at their houses, to encourage them to leave their houses and go to their polling places,” said Jim Gramling, a volunteer who has been with the office since they started organizing a team in August 2011.

The office is too small to hold any telephone banks to make calls, so going to door-to-door is the only option for these volunteers.

“We’ve identified voters who are registered to vote, and who vote sometimes, but don’t vote all the time,” said Gramling.

When it comes to the election itself, Gramling says that he is confident his side will win but knows that even in victory, there is still more to be done.

“In the end, both sides need to find a way to come to an agreement in areas where, during this campaign, they’ve expressed some agreement,” Gramling said.

Gramling mentioned areas like reforming tax code and social security, also finding way to keep the Medicare program from running aground.

He said that the most fascinating thing about this election so far is that many first-time volunteers have come out to lend a hand, some get very nervous when they have to go door-to-door, but they want to do what they can.

-Josh Weber

5:36 p.m. Tuesday:

The election inspector at Lake Bluff Elementary School, Mary Jo McDonald, said that voter turnout was higher than the last presidential election.

At about 4:30, there were approximately 1,230 votes. The peak voting time was between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., at which time the lines were out the door.

When asked about voter projections for the rest of the evening, she said, "it's hard to predict, we're usually busier around supper time. Last time, we thought we'd be busier just before the polls close between 7 and 8 but that was not the case."

She said a problem at the polls was with people who tried to register to vote without proper identification.

Voter Dillon Champion said the economy was the most important issue to him but that he was not influenced by the political ads.

The one problem he had: "After the presidential and senate race, I didn't know who any of the other people were."

He voted for Romney.

Voter Katy Frauen said the candidates' stands on tax cuts and on women's issues including Planned Parenthood were most important to her.

She was influenced by the political ads, as that is how she heard about Romney's position on Planned Parenthood.

She voted for Obama.

Voter Elizabeth Ihde said health care was the most important issue to her.

She maintained her view the entire time of the campaign.

She also voted for Obama.

-Blanca Picasso

3:30 p.m. Tuesday: Voter turnout village-wide is hovering around 68 percent.

As of 3 p.m., more than 1,110 had cast ballots at the high school, with 3,266 registered in the polling locations wards 5 through 8.

Chief Inspector Catherine Flaherty said the location hasn't experienced any issues, other than a few residents over-voting — selecting more than one candidate for any particular office or seat — and some confusion over no option for a straight-party vote.

As was the case with other polling locations in Shorewood, Flaherty said the high school saw a swell of voters in the first hour.

Many came out to cast a ballot for candidates they felt would serve their interests well.

Alexia Couto said, even though she feels it’s her duty to vote, she found herself voting today because of women's rights.

"I voted for Barack Obama," she said. "I like how his policies align with women's rights, and I'm pro-choice so that is a pretty big deciding factor."

Seth Farvour voted for Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson, because he doesn't believe in the two-party system.

"I don't believe anything will ever change no matter whom you vote for," he said.

He added the fodder you hear from both sides about their opponents are typically inaccurate.

"You hear from the Republicans that Obama is the biggest spender ever, but it's not true," he said. "The Democrats will say that Romney is going to get rid of Planned Parenthood, which is not true. He's not planning on doing that."

--Adam McCoy

1:09 p.m. Tuesday: Shorewood Wards 9 through 12 are off to a good start on Election Day. By 11 a.m., there were 750 votes cast at Lake Bluff Elementary. Thirty minutes later, there were 815.

Mary Jo McDonald, Chief Inspector, predicts a high voter turnout.

“We’ve had a thousand early voters as well,” says McDonald. “So that’s a little over half of our voting population.”

The total number of registered voters in Wards 9 through 12 is 3,054, but that number will be higher after today. Poll worker Susie Bigham says she is surprised by the high number of people still registering to vote today.

Sarah East is a first-time voter who registered today.

“If you’re actually educated about what’s going on and you have an opinion, you probably should go do something about it,” says East.

Others came to choose the candidate that serves their interests.

Joel Rittberg says he’s supporting Obama because he believes what the president has to say.

“I have medical issues,” says Rittberg. “Under Romney’s plan, I would be paying more.”

Chris LaRue chose his candidate because he says people have a right to lives their own lives.

“The right says they want less government, but then they get in people’s personal lives.”

Voting will continue until 8 p.m.

--Christine Pedretti

12:19 p.m. Tuesday: Mary Jo McDonald, Chief Inspector for Wards 9-12 in Shorewood, talks about voting today. See the Patch Tube video of her interview.

--Christine Pedretti

10:32 a.m. Tuesday: Voters for Wards 1 through 4 were lined up at the Shorewood Public Library this morning ready to cast their ballots. Chief Inspector Marilyn John says 200 votes were processed within the first 40 minutes.

There was a steady stream of voters for the next few hours. Poll workers emphasized the high degree of registration.

Curtisthene Montgomery is a greeter who has also worked in previous elections.

“There’s been lots of new registrations. They’re all hyped up,” says Montgomery.

The library wards have around 4000 registered voters and many have voted already. Sherry Grant, Village Clerk of Shorewood, says about 30 percent of the voting population has already voted absentee.

People came out for various reasons, citing everything from the economy to just ending the campaign madness.

“It’s definitely women’s issues for me,” says Shorewood resident Jeanne Majeski.

Poll greeter Jean Sobon said there were 543 votes in as of 10 a.m.

--Christine Pedretti

Tuesday is Election Day in Shorewood and across the country, and Patch has everything you need to know before you head to the polls.

If you need information on where to vote and who’s on the ballot you’ll find it here. And remember to check back throughout the day on Tuesday for updates from the polls and local results once the polls close at 8 p.m.

Be sure to bookmark this page for updates. We'll also have a live blog that you can participate in all day and night Tuesday (note: the blog will go live Tuesday), and a central page dedicated to all of the hot races in Wisconsin.

Election Info

Sample ballot: To see a sample ballot, go to the state's My Vote Wisconsin website and enter your address.

There are three polling locations in Shorewood:

• Shorewood Village Center, 3920 N. Murray Ave., lower level of the Shorewood Public Library, Wards 1-4.

• Shorewood High School, 1701 E. Capitol Dr., Wards 5-8.

• Lake Bluff Elementary School, 1600 E. Lake Bluff Blvd., Wards 9-12.

Unsure what polling location you should vote at, visit My Vote Wisconsin.

Registering to vote: If you have not yet registered to vote, you can register at your polling place on Election Day.

Voter ID: Because of recent court rulings, Wisconsin's Voter ID law will not be enforced and you do not need identification to vote. If you are registering to vote, you will need to bring a proof of residence. For more information on the Voter ID law, visit the state's election website.