Wisconsin election officials fear voter confusion over 2 elections for same congressional seat

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin election officials voted Thursday to provide more details to voters than normal to avoid confusion about a ballot that will have both a special and regular election for a vacant congressional seat.

The rare anomaly for the 8th Congressional District is due to the timing of former U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher’s surprise resignation. Under state law, if Gallagher had quit before April 9, a special election before November would have had to be called.

Gallagher quit on April 24, which required Gov. Tony Evers to call the special election on the same dates as the Aug. 13 primary and Nov. 5 general election.

That means that voters in the northeastern Wisconsin congressional district will be voting to elect someone in a special election to fill the remainder of the current term, which runs until Jan. 3, and then vote separately for someone to fill the regular two-year term starting in January.

“There is a source for confusion present here and it will be very difficult to avoid any voter confusion,” said Wisconsin Elections Commission attorney Brandon Hunzicker at a meeting Thursday.

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