Clerks set to count votes in messy Wisconsin election

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Municipal clerks across Wisconsin on Monday were set to start tallying votes from last week's chaotic presidential primary, a count that was delayed for several days by the legal struggle over whether to postpone the election due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Thousands of voters congregated for hours in long lines on Tuesday, defying social-distancing guidelines that led to the postponement of primaries in several other states. The U.S. Supreme Court decided on the eve of the election that absentee ballots, requested in record numbers, had to be postmarked by midnight Tuesday. That overturned a judge's ruling that had granted a one-week extension, forcing many residents to weigh safety concerns against exercising their right to vote.

The election, while unprecedented for Wisconsin, isn't a factor in deciding the Democratic nominee for the White House. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders dropped out of the race last week, all but assuring former Vice President Joe Biden will lead the party ticket in November.

However, also at stake in Tuesday's election were hundreds of local offices and a critical state Supreme Court contest that fueled the fight between Democrats and Republicans on whether the election should be held. Democrats accused Republicans of wanting to stick to the election date in part to suppress voter turnout in liberal Milwaukee and Dane counties, improving the conservative candidate's chances in the court race.

The Wisconsin election also crystallized what's expected to be a high-stakes, state-by-state legal fight over how citizens can safely cast their ballots if the coronavirus outbreak persists into the November election. Democrats are arguing for states to be ready to shift to much greater use of absentee and mailed ballots, while Republicans are raising the specter that such...