*The governor*s executive order is clearly constitutional overreach,* state House Speaker Robin Vos (R) and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R) said in a joint statement. *This is another last-minute flip-flop from the governor," the statement noted. "The governor himself has repeatedly acknowledged he can*t move the election. Just last week a federal judge said he didn*t have the power to cancel the election and Gov. Evers can*t either.*
There was mounting pressure on Wisconsin to postpone its election in recent days as worries about the spread of the coronavirus grew and the state faced polling closures and severe worker shortages. On Friday, Evers called for a special legislative session to cancel in-person voting so the election could be held entirely by mail. A federal judge had previously extended the absentee voting deadline by a week to allow for the election to continue as planned.
However, Republicans leading the Wisconsin legislature did not take up Evers*s proposal to cancel in-person voting, instead gaveling out of the special Saturday session after only a few minutes. In addition, Wisconsin Republicans had challenged the federal ruling on extending absentee ballot voting. The petitioners had asked the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on that case by Monday.
Many were bracing for an administrative disaster at the polls on Tuesday. In Milwaukee, the largest city in Wisconsin with a population of nearly 600,000, only between six and 12 polling stations would have been open for in-person voting, compared to 180 during the 2016 election. Officials were worried that the polling place crunch will lead to longer lines and bigger crowds, potentially making the centers hotbeds for the spread of disease.