MADISON – Senate Democratic Leader Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse) and Assembly Democratic Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) released the following statement regarding the importance of election safety and public health.

“The April 7th election should be postponed by any means necessary. Having tens of thousands of people gathered at polling places around the state on Tuesday will result in the further spreading of the COVID-19 virus. This will increase the burden on our health care system and ultimately cost more lives. Postponing this election and moving toward mail-only ballots is the only way to ensure Wisconsinites remain safe. We need to act now. Forcing people to choose between their health and their right to vote is not an acceptable path forward. History will not judge those who allowed this to happen kindly. 

“With state and federal guidelines, as well as countless public health officials, encouraging people to stay in their homes and avoid large gatherings to limit transmissions of the virus, postponing this election is the moral decision our state must make. With experts now stating that its possible COVID-19 can spread by droplets produced by talking or even breathing, the importance of stopping mass gatherings really is a matter of life and death.

“Every state with an April or May election has postponed it, and Wisconsin should follow suit before we walk into this public health disaster. We are living in an unprecedented time. Republican inaction will disenfranchise thousands of Wisconsin voters and worse, jeopardize public health.”

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