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Today we highlight our story about advocates’ efforts to increase voter turnout among Black residents in Milwaukee — and why those efforts did not spur more to cast ballots during the pandemic.
The story reported by Anya van Wagtendonk with assistance from Nora Eckert and Bram Sable-Smith documented the efforts by groups such as Black Leaders Organizing for Communities and Leaders Igniting Transformation to encourage Black Milwaukee residents to weigh in on the presidential election.
Despite those efforts, total votes cast in all 17 Milwaukee wards where at least 85% of voters are Black dropped compared to 2016. Advocates attributed the lower vote totals among majority-Black wards to fears of contracting COVID-19, lack of face-to-face voter engagement due to the pandemic and suspicion about mail-in voting.
But organizers saw signs of resilience in those numbers and bristled at the suggestion that Black voters haven’t done their part in the past two elections — particularly in a state where lawmakers have made it disproportionately harder for them to vote.
Top Stories
‘Proud of my city’: Turnout down, but Milwaukee’s Black voters leapt hurdles to vote — Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin health leaders given bleak update on virus — Associated Press
Protests, polls, pandemic: Wisconsin National Guard members faced a busy 2020 — Wisconsin State Journal
Sauk County deputy health director part of emerging group known as COVID-19 ‘long haulers’ — Baraboo News Republic
Milwaukee Health Department asks those with COVID-positive tests to help in contact tracing — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wisconsin hospitals caring for more than 2,000 COVID-19 patients as state ranks among worst in U.S. for new cases — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Gov. Tony Evers calls for Wisconsinites to change behavior as cases of COVID-19 spread — WPR
Beloit COVID-19 hospitalizations at record high, vaccine preparations underway — Beloit Daily News
What are we missing? And how are you coping? Help us provide critical information and accountability by filling out this form or emailing us at tips@wisconsinwatch.org.
Quotable
“So, I want to be clear tonight: each day this virus goes unchecked is a setback for our economic recovery. Our bars, restaurants, small businesses, families, and farmers will continue to suffer if we don’t take action right now — our economy cannot bounce back until we contain this virus.”
— Gov. Tony Evers in a Tuesday night primetime speech
Watch Evers’ speech:
Data to note
The Department of Health Services on Wednesday reported 7,048 new infections and 62 deaths from a virus that has killed at least 2,457 Wisconsinites since March.
Meanwhile, more than 2,000 COVID-19 patients were in Wisconsin hospitals Wednesday — the highest total during the pandemic.
WisContext offers these visualizations of Wisconsin’s startling trends in COVID-19 infections, deaths and hospitalizations.
Resilient Wisconsin
People helping others and showing resilience during this time of anxiety. Send suggestions by tagging us on social media — @wisconsinwatch — or emailing us: tips@wisconsinwatch.org.
Cultural groups from Overture Center to WORT/FM receive crucial COVID-19 relief money — Wisconsin State Journal
The nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (wisconsinwatch.org) collaborates with Wisconsin Public Radio, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by the Center do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.
