Michelle Obama called out officials in the state of Wisconsin for not delaying their Tuesday, April 7, presidential primary as many other states had done.
The former first lady and bestselling author authoritatively said the country needs to “do better to ensure voting is safe for all voters” during this time of social distancing.
“Today, Wisconsin voters had to choose between making their voice heard and keeping themselves and their family safe,” Obama wrote in a Twitter post on Tuesday. “No American should ever have to make that choice.”
Today, Wisconsin voters had to choose between making their voice heard and keeping themselves and their family safe. No American should ever have to make that choice.
We must do better to ensure voting is safe for all voters. The latest Wisconsin voting information is below. https://t.co/x1LwEb9H4N
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) April 7, 2020
Other officials concurred with Obama’s sentiments. The New York Times reported that 15 other states and U.S. territories delayed their primaries until sometime in the summer due to the global pandemic that is killing scores of people every day.
In fact, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers fired off an executive order demanding that the Wisconsin primary be delayed until further notice. However, the conservative state legislature and the state Supreme Court ruled against Evers and ordered that the primary go forward on Tuesday.
Obama urged officials and others to ensure that absentee votes are counted. In fact, CNN reported that 1,282,762 Wisconsin residents requested absentee ballots.
Meanwhile, WEAU.com in Wisconsin reported that there were long lines of outside polling places with voters wearing paper masks, gas masks, gloves and other protective material. Most adhered to the guidelines to stand six feet from others. Others handed off their ballots at a distance from the polling place workers.
