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Reporters fanned out across the state Tuesday — not only to document the results of a high-stakes election that will usher in a new balance of political power in Wisconsin, but also to capture how residents participated in the democratic process.

Sometimes, a photograph tells a story better than words.

Here is a selection of the best photography from Wisconsin Watch’s and Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service’s Election Day coverage.

Voters wait in line to receive a ballot for the 2026 U.S. midterm elections in a polling site at the Stevens Point Parks & Rec Department in Stevens Point, Wis., on Nov. 3, 2026. (Drake White-Bergey for Wisconsin Watch)

A woman with name tag sits in front of a window and looks focused — Terri Horwich, an observer on behalf of WisDems, sits in the observer area of the McFarland Municipal Center polling place in McFarland, Wis. during the Nov. 3, 2026 midterm elections. (Lizzy Larson for Wisconsin Watch)

A person in a gray shirt and baseball cap leans over a voting booth marked with an American flag and "VOTE" while another person in a blue striped shirt looks up from beside the booth. — With his child, Gus, looking on, Craig Eley marks his ballot at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens polling place on Nov. 3, 2026. “We talk about the issues and the candidates at home and having that understanding that voting is easy, voting is fun. But it’s also something that you want to be informed about so that you can make good choices,” Eley said. (Lizzy Larson for Wisconsin Watch)

rain on a window clouds an image of American flag — An American flag flies above the McFarland Municipal Center in McFarland, Wis. on Nov. 3, 2026 during a rainy midterm election. (Lizzy Larson for Wisconsin Watch)

Rows of red, white and blue stickers reading "I Voted Today!" lie on a brown tabletop, with white stars decorating the circular sticker designs. — “I Voted” stickers on a table at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens polling place in Madison, Wis., on Nov. 3 during 2026 midterms. (Lizzy Larson for Wisconsin Watch)

#Badgers Vote is spelled in large letters across a hill with a building in the background — A “#Badgers Vote” sign stands in front of Bascom Hill on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, which hosted multiple voting locations on Nov. 3, 2026, Election Day. (Lizzy Larson for Wisconsin Watch)

Several people lean over at voting booths with white privacy screens displaying American flags and the word "VOTE" inside a room with exposed wooden ceiling beams. — Voters mark their ballots at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens polling place in Madison, Wis., during the Nov. 3, 2026, midterm election. (Lizzy Larson for Wisconsin Watch)

People counting paper ballots around a table — Election officials work on processing thousands of ballots at Milwaukee’s central count at the Italian Community Center on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A finger points to an I voted sticker next to a heart pin on a shirt — Carmella Brown points to her “I Voted” sticker near the polling site at the COA Goldin Center on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

Five people walk along a sidewalk and on stairs in front of a building near bright red shrubs and two signs reading "VOTE" with arrows pointing left. — People walk into the polling site at the COA Goldin Center, 2320 W. Burleigh St. in Milwaukee, to cast their vote on Nov. 3, 2026. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

Paper ballots sit in stacks — Absentee ballots slated for processing at the McFarland Municipal Center polling place in McFarland, Wis. during the Nov. 3, 2026 midterm election. (Lizzy Larson for Wisconsin Watch)

A man wears a red jacket and hat — Patrick Jordan poses for a photographer near the polling site at the COA Goldin Center on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

People cheer and hold up a cutout of David Crowley — Desilynn Smith and Anna Maria Hodges celebrate after David Crowley won the Wisconsin governorship during the election watch party for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, David Crowley, at Landmark Credit Union Live on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

People cheering holding David Crowley signs — Attendees celebrate after David Crowley won the Wisconsin governorship during the election watch party for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, David Crowley, at Landmark Credit Union Live on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A little girl plays violin on a stage — Victoria Crowley-Washington plays the violin during the election watch party for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, David Crowley, at Landmark Credit Union Live on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

Two people smile, one in a navy suit and blue tie and the other in a green suit, with a hand resting on the other's shoulder before a blue "Crowley Godlewski" backdrop. — David Crowley and Sara Godlewski celebrate after winning the Wisconsin gubernatorial election during their election watch party at Landmark Credit Union Live on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

A person wearing glasses, a dark suit and a light blue tie smiles with one hand on the chest behind a podium displaying "Crowley Godlewski" against a blue backdrop. — David Crowley celebrates winning the Wisconsin governor’s race during his election watch party at Landmark Credit Union Live on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

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Wisconsin votes: Election Day in photos

by Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Watch
November 4, 2026

<h1>Wisconsin votes: Election Day in photos</h1>
<p class="byline">by Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Watch <br />November 4, 2026</p>

<p>Reporters fanned out across the state Tuesday — not only to document the results of a high-stakes election that will usher in a new balance of political power in Wisconsin, but also to capture how residents participated in the democratic process.</p>
<p>Sometimes, a photograph tells a story better than words.</p>
<p>Here is a selection of the best photography from Wisconsin Watch’s and Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service’s Election Day coverage.</p>
<div class="wp-block-columns alignwide">
<div class="wp-block-column">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large" id="Voting-excitement"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/asse20261103DWB-TomTiffany-07-782x521.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1322569" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Voters wait in line to receive a ballot for the 2026 U.S. midterm elections in a polling site at the Stevens Point Parks &amp; Rec Department in Stevens Point, Wis., on Nov. 3, 2026. (Drake White-Bergey for Wisconsin Watch)</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
<div class="wp-block-column">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/asse20261103LL-ElectionDay-032-782x521.jpg" alt="A woman with name tag sits in front of a window and looks focused" class="wp-image-1322574" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Terri Horwich, an observer on behalf of WisDems, sits in the observer area of the McFarland Municipal Center polling place in McFarland, Wis. during the Nov. 3, 2026 midterm elections. (Lizzy Larson for Wisconsin Watch)</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
</p></div>
<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/asse20261103LL-ElectionDay-004-782x521.jpg" alt="A person in a gray shirt and baseball cap leans over a voting booth marked with an American flag and &quot;VOTE&quot; while another person in a blue striped shirt looks up from beside the booth." class="wp-image-1322323" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">With his child, Gus, looking on, Craig Eley marks his ballot at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens polling place on Nov. 3, 2026. "We talk about the issues and the candidates at home and having that understanding that voting is easy, voting is fun. But it's also something that you want to be informed about so that you can make good choices," Eley said. (Lizzy Larson for Wisconsin Watch)</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/asse20261103LL-ElectionDay-029-782x521.jpg" alt="rain on a window clouds an image of American flag " class="wp-image-1322576" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An American flag flies above the McFarland Municipal Center in McFarland, Wis.  on Nov. 3, 2026 during a rainy midterm election. (Lizzy Larson for Wisconsin Watch)</figcaption></figure>
<div class="wp-block-columns alignwide">
<div class="wp-block-column">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large" id="Voting-excitement"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/asse20261103LL-ElectionDay-012-782x521.jpg" alt="Rows of red, white and blue stickers reading &quot;I Voted Today!&quot; lie on a brown tabletop, with white stars decorating the circular sticker designs." class="wp-image-1322308" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">"I Voted" stickers on a table at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens polling place in Madison, Wis., on Nov. 3 during 2026 midterms. (Lizzy Larson for Wisconsin Watch)</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
<div class="wp-block-column">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/asse20261103LL-ElectionDay-040-782x521.jpg" alt="#Badgers Vote is spelled in large letters across a hill with a building in the background" class="wp-image-1322408" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A "#Badgers Vote” sign stands in front of Bascom Hill on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, which hosted multiple voting locations on Nov. 3, 2026, Election Day. (Lizzy Larson for Wisconsin Watch)</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
</p></div>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/asse20261103LL-ElectionDay-008-scaled.jpg" alt="Several people lean over at voting booths with white privacy screens displaying American flags and the word &quot;VOTE&quot; inside a room with exposed wooden ceiling beams." class="wp-image-1322305" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Voters mark their ballots at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens polling place in Madison, Wis., during the Nov. 3, 2026, midterm election. (Lizzy Larson for Wisconsin Watch)</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/asseG86A2779-782x522.jpg" alt="People counting paper ballots around a table " class="wp-image-1322566" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Election officials work on processing thousands of ballots at Milwaukee’s central count at the Italian Community Center on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)</figcaption></figure>
<div class="wp-block-columns alignwide">
<div class="wp-block-column">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large" id="Voting-excitement"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/asseG84A1356-782x522.jpg" alt="A finger points to an I voted sticker next to a heart pin on a shirt " class="wp-image-1322564" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Carmella Brown points to her “I Voted” sticker near the polling site at the COA Goldin Center on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
<div class="wp-block-column">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/G84A1416-scaled-1-782x521.jpg" alt="Five people walk along a sidewalk and on stairs in front of a building near bright red shrubs and two signs reading &quot;VOTE&quot; with arrows pointing left." class="wp-image-1322427" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">People walk into the polling site at the COA Goldin Center, 2320 W. Burleigh St. in Milwaukee, to cast their vote on Nov. 3, 2026. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
</p></div>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/asse20261103LL-ElectionDay-031-782x521.jpg" alt="Paper ballots sit in stacks" class="wp-image-1322567" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Absentee ballots slated for processing at the McFarland Municipal Center polling place in McFarland, Wis. during the Nov. 3, 2026 midterm election. (Lizzy Larson for Wisconsin Watch)</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/asseG84A1389-782x1172.jpg" alt="A man wears a red jacket and hat" class="wp-image-1322583" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Patrick Jordan poses for a photographer near the polling site at the COA Goldin Center on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/asseG86A3197-1-782x626.jpg" alt="People cheer and hold up a cutout of David Crowley" class="wp-image-1322561" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Desilynn Smith and Anna Maria Hodges celebrate after David Crowley won the Wisconsin governorship during the election watch party for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, David Crowley, at Landmark Credit Union Live on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/asseG86A3303-scaled.jpg" alt="People cheering holding David Crowley signs" class="wp-image-1322553" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Attendees celebrate after David Crowley won the Wisconsin governorship during the election watch party for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, David Crowley, at Landmark Credit Union Live on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/asseG84A1582-782x977.jpg" alt="A little girl plays violin on a stage" class="wp-image-1322582" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Victoria Crowley-Washington plays the violin during the election watch party for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, David Crowley, at Landmark Credit Union Live on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/asseG84A1845-782x626.jpg" alt="Two people smile, one in a navy suit and blue tie and the other in a green suit, with a hand resting on the other&apos;s shoulder before a blue &quot;Crowley Godlewski&quot; backdrop." class="wp-image-1322498" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">David Crowley and Sara Godlewski celebrate after winning the Wisconsin gubernatorial election during their election watch party at Landmark Credit Union Live on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/asseG84A1891-scaled.jpg" alt="A person wearing glasses, a dark suit and a light blue tie smiles with one hand on the chest behind a podium displaying &quot;Crowley Godlewski&quot; against a blue backdrop." class="wp-image-1322499" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">David Crowley celebrates winning the Wisconsin governor’s race during his election watch party at Landmark Credit Union Live on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)</figcaption></figure>
<p>This <a target="_blank" href="https://wisconsinwatch.org/2026/11/wisconsin-votes-election-day-in-photos/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://wisconsinwatch.org">Wisconsin Watch</a> and is republished here under a <a target="_blank" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.&nbsp;<img src="https://i0.wp.com/wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cropped-WCIJ_IconOnly_FullColor_RGB-1.png?fit=150%2C150&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1" alt="" width="16" height="16" style="width:1em;height:1em;"></p>
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Wisconsin votes: Election Day in photos

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