Guide to the Spring 2019 General Election

On April 2nd, Wisconsin voters will have the opportunity to elect a new state Supreme Court justice and many key leaders in their local governments.

Why is it important to vote in the Spring Election?
Click here to view and share our video, including early voting information
length: one min, 16 seconds
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Wisconsin Supreme Court:
One seat for a 10-year term
Brian Hagedorn
Lisa Neubauer
Profiles and candidate links on ballotpedia

​​Court Of Appeals Judge District 3
Judge Lisa Stark is unopposed for reelection 

Eau Claire City Council:
Council President: Winner will fill one-year vacancy
Terry Weld
Andrew Werthmann
Chamber Good Government Council Questionnaire
Recorded Chamber Candidate Forum
Council President Forum (Video: Chippewa Valley Home Builders Assn)
Individual Candidate Video Interviews (Valley Media Works)
City council president candidates debate at WEAU (WEAU 13 News)

Council At large: five seats for 3-year terms
Kirk Ausman
Kate Beaton (incumbent)
Kate Martin
Laura Benjamin
Donald Motzing
Catherine Emmanuelle (incumbent)
Dale Poynter
David Klinkhammer
John Lor
Kyle Woodman
Chamber Good Government Council Questionnaire 
Recorded Chamber Candidate Forum 
Candidate Profiles (Volume One)
Individual Candidate Interviews (Valley Media Works)

​Eau Claire School Board:
Three seats, each for 3-year terms
Aaron Harder (incumbent)
Tim Nordin
Eric D. Torres (incumbent)
Erica Zerr
Recorded Chamber Candidate Forum
Chamber Good Government Council Questionnaire
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​Altoona City Council: 
Two-year terms
District 4: Matt Biren (i)
District 5: Tim Sexton (i)
District 6: Susan Rowe
Altoona School Board:
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Two seats for 3-year terms, one for 1-year term
David Rowe (i)
Dan Gluck (i)
Dr. Terry Neff
 
We’ve provided voting requirements and election information below.

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Polling Places, Registration, and Identification
If you’re not a registered voter, you can register on election day at your polling place, which you can find here. But once you’re registered, you’ll need to present a valid form of identification, which you can read about here.

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​In-Person Absentee Voting
Both Eau Claire and Altoona allow in-person absentee voting, and specific information about each city’s policies are provided below.
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              Eau Claire:
             Weekdays: March 18-29
             Location: Downtown City Hall (enter from the alley behind 203 S. Farwell Street - follow the signs.)
             Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  
             Additional note: You must be registered before an absentee ballot can be sent to you.
             More Information: visit Eau Claire's elections page 
              Altoona: 
             Weekdays: March 18-29
             Location: Altoona City Hall, 1303 Lynn Avenue. 
             Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

             Other townships and cities: Contact your municipal clerk for location and hours
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​Election Day, April 2
Polls will be open in Eau Claire and Altoona from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find your polling place here.

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​Races to Keep an Eye On
A competitive and highly important race is shaping up for Eau Claire City Council President. Last June, Council President Kerry Kincaid resigned and Andrew Werthmann assumed her role, becoming the acting president of the City Council. But rules now require Werthmann to face the voters, so Terry Weld is battling him for the remainder of Kinkaid’s term—one year, or, until April 2020. In his announcement address, Weld vowed to bring a “fresh and positive image to the council presidency and a more rounded leadership style to [the] city council.” Meanwhile, Werthmann has emphasized that the main priorities “have got to be tackling poverty and equality, investing in our neighborhoods, and making sure that everyone is lifted up by the success in our community.” To listen to their candidate forum, click here.

 
The 10 general-election candidates for the five at-large City Council seats are now set. You can view the primary results here. Turnout in that election was low--around 15%--so it's hard to tell who will be elected to the Council in April. That means general-election voters could sway the final outcomes. As a result, we encourage every member of the Chamber to cast a ballot in that race. For more information about the at-large candidates, check out their bios in our previous post, which can be found here. Or, read through their Good Government Council Questionnaire responses.

​Four candidates are vying for three spots on the Eau Claire School Board. Incumbent Eric Torres, who is a university professor, has continually stressed the importance of electing public educators to the school board. And Tim Nordin, who ran last election cycle, has sustained his message that equity and innovation are the essential components of progress in our schools. Much like Torres, Erica Zerr, a first-time candidate, has advocated strengthening the role of teachers in developing curriculum and guiding classroom operation.
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Altoona's David Rowe has decided not to seek another term on the City Council, so his wife, Susan Rowe, is running to replace him. Right now, she faces no competition in District 6. The term spans for two years, or, until April 2021. 

For the Altoona School Board, all candidates will get elected, but the top two finishers will earn full 3-year terms, while the third-place finisher will earn only a 1-year term.

Questionnaires and Candidate Forums
The Chamber's Good Government Council has published questionnaire responses for these races: 
City Council President Good Government Council Questionnaire responses
At-Large City Council Good Government Council Questionnaire responses
​EC School Board Good Government Council Questionnaire responses

The Chamber, along with the Leader-Telegram, WQOW TV 18, Wisconsin Public Radio, and Valley Media Works, is proud to be sponsoring three candidate forums before the general election. Each will give different sets of candidates the opportunity to debate with one another and talk with voters. The dates, times, and location of each follows. 
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               City Council President Candidate Forum and Meet & Greet
              Audio recording available here.
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               Eau Claire School Board Candidate Forum and Meet & Greet
              Recorded Forum available here
              
               At- Large City Council Candidate Forum and Meet & Greet
              Recorded Forum available here
               

Posted by Nate Kane, Legislative Intern
kane@eauclairechamber.org