Wisconsinites Hit The Polls For Recall Elections Tomorrow
By Samantha Abernethy in News on Jun 4, 2012 10:00PM
On the eve of the Wisconsin recall elections, two polls show Republican Gov. Scott Walker has a minor lead over challenger Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Public Policy Polling shows Walker with 50 percent to Barrett's 47 percent. Angus Reid polling has Walker up 53 percent to Barrett's 47 percent. The results don't mean much, considering the margin of error, but one thing is for sure: This is going to be a tight race.
Just a few weeks ago, polls showed Barrett and Walker in a statistical tie with few undecided voters, with one columnist saying “public opinion about Walker is almost freakishly fixed in place.” That held true in the two more recent polls, so voter turnout tomorrow will be the key to winning the election.
Tomorrow's election is a repeat of the 2010 governor's race, when Walker beat Barrett by a measly five percentage points. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel took a closer look at how voters have changed from election-to-election, finding Wisconsin voters have been becoming steadily more conservative. Despite being the paper of Barrett's town, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel endorsed Walker for tomorrow's fight, saying "his removal isn't justified." The paper also endorsed Walker in the 2010 matchup.
The election has strong importance nationwide, as Democrats have been pushing for a takedown of Walker since the day he came into office. Former president Bill Clinton went to town to stump for Barrett. Analysts also say the results of tomorrow's election could be an indicator of how the swing state will go in the November general election.