Wisconsin elections, 2012
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Wisconsin's 2012 elections U.S. Senate • U.S. House • State Senate • State Assembly • Candidate ballot access |
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| Contents |
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| 1 2012 Elections |
| 2 Eligibility to Vote |
| 2.1 Primary election |
| 2.2 General election |
| 3 Voting absentee |
| 3.1 Eligibility |
| 3.2 Deadlines |
| 3.3 Military and overseas voting |
| 4 Voting early |
| 5 See also |
| 6 References |
The state of Wisconsin held elections in 2012. Below are the dates of note:
- Signature filing deadline: June 1, 2012
- Primary date: August 14, 2012
- General election date: November 6, 2012
| On the 2012 ballot | Click here for all November 6, 2012 Election Results | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senate (1 seat) | 
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Preview Article | |
| U.S. House (9 seats) |
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| State Executives | 
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N/A | |
| State Senate (16 seats) |
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Preview Article | |
| State House (99 seats) |
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| Ballot measures (0 measures) |
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N/A | |
2012 Elections
For election results in the 50 states, see our November 6, 2012 election results page
Elections by type
U.S. Senate
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Tammy Baldwin |
51.5% | 1,547,104 | |
| Republican | Tommy Thompson | 45.9% | 1,380,126 | |
| Libertarian | Joseph Kexel | 2.1% | 62,240 | |
| Independent | Nimrod Allen III | 0.5% | 16,455 | |
| N/A | Write-ins | 0% | 113 | |
| Total Votes | 3,006,038 | |||
| Source: U.S. House Clerk "2012 Election Statistics" | ||||
U.S. House
| Members of the U.S. House from Wisconsin -- Partisan Breakdown | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 3 | 3 | |
| Republican Party | 5 | 5 | |
| Total | 8 | 8 | |
| District | General Election Candidates | Incumbent | 2012 Winner | Partisan Switch? |
| 1st |  Rob Zerban Paul Ryan Keith Deschler |
Paul Ryan | Paul Ryan |
No |
| 2nd | Mark Pocan Chad Lee |
Tammy Baldwin | Mark Pocan |
No |
| 3rd | Ron Kind Ray Boland |
Ron Kind | Ron Kind |
No |
| 4th | Gwen Moore Dan Sebring Robert Raymond |
Gwen Moore | Gwen Moore |
No |
| 5th | Dave Heaster Jim Sensenbrenner |
Jim Sensenbrenner | Jim Sensenbrenner |
No |
| 6th | Joe Kallas Tom Petri |
Tom Petri | Tom Petri |
No |
| 7th | Pat Kreitlow Sean Duffy |
Sean Duffy | Sean Duffy |
No |
| 8th | Jamie Wall Reid Ribble |
Reid Ribble | Reid Ribble |
No |
State Senate
- See also: Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2012
Heading into the election, Republicans maintained partisan control in the state senate.
| Wisconsin State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 17 | 15 | |
| Republican Party | 15 | 18 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 33 | 33 | |
State House
- See also: Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2012
Heading into the election, Republicans maintained partisan control in the state house.
| Wisconsin State Assembly | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 39 | 39 | |
| Republican Party | 58 | 60 | |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 99 | 99 | |
Local measures
Ballotpedia tracked local ballot elections in 11 states. Those states included: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin.
For the state of Wisconsin, below is a glimpse of some of the local measures that appeared or were scheduled to appear on ballots in 2012.
- West Bend School District Referendum (November 2012)
- Belle Plaine Town Treasurer Measure (November 2012)
- Bonduel School District Measure (November 2012)
- Belle Plaine Town Clerk Measure (November 2012)
- Freedom Town Treasurer Referendum (November 2012)
- Freedom Town Clerk Referendum (November 2012)
- Western Technical College Referendum (November 2012)
- Grafton Village Referendum (November 2012)
- Grafton Town Referendum (November 2012)
- Village of Weston Question 2 (November 2012)
...click here for all 2012 Wisconsin local measures.
Eligibility to Vote
Primary election
- See also: Voting in the 2012 primary elections
Wisconsin was one of 16 states to use an open primary system. Voters could register to vote in the primary by mail, in person, or at the polls. The postmarked deadline for mailed registrations was July 25, 2012, which was 20 days before the primary took place; the in-person deadline was August 10, 2012; and voters could register at the polls if they brought valid proof of residence.[1] (Information about registering to vote)
General election
- See also: Voting in the 2012 general elections
The deadline to pre-register to vote was 20 days prior to the election day, which in 2012 was October 17. Voters could register at the polls the day of the election.[2]
- Voter ID info
- Residency requirements: Must have lived in Wisconsin for at least 28 days and have no current intention of moving.[3]
- Same-day registration: Yes[4]
Voting absentee
- See also: Absentee Voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by mail in Wisconsin. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee/by mail.[5][6]
To vote absentee by mail, a request to the municipal clerk must be received by 5 p.m. on the Thursday before Election Day. Once completed, returned ballots must be received no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day.[5][7]
Voting early
- See also: Early voting
Wisconsin is one of 34 states that has early voting with no specific requirements as to who can vote early. Early voting runs for two weeks before an election, ending at 5 p.m. or close of business (whichever is later) on the Friday before the election. The average number of days prior to an election that voters can cast an early ballot is 21 days in states with a definitive starting date.[5]
In March 2014, Governor Scott Walker applied a partial veto to a bill altering the state's early voting procedures. The legislation as passed restricted early voting hours in several cities to 45 hours per week. Walker vetoed this provision, but he left in place a provision prohibiting early voting on weekends. Democrats alleged that the restrictions placed an undue burden on minorities, veterans, the elderly and students. Republicans maintained that the changes were necessary to ensure uniformity in procedures between urban and rural locations, arguing that rural election officials often lack the resources needed to maintain the same early voting hours that cities can offer.[8]
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Registration and Voting," accessed April 19, 2012
- ↑ Government Accountability Board, "Registration and Voting" accessed May 11, 2012
- ↑ Government Accountability Board, "Registration to Vote" accessed May 11, 2012
- ↑ Government Accountability Board, "Voting and Registration" accessed July 12, 2012
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Wisconsin Election Commission, "What is in-person absentee voting and how can I do it?" accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Vote Absentee Guide," accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ Wisconsin Election Commission, "FAQ search results: absentee," accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Scott Walker signs early-voting bill; partial veto extends voting hours," March 27, 2014
