Milwaukee’s election fiasco infected seven with COVID-19, officials say

Enlarge / Milwaukee voters wait in line at Riverside High School on April 7, 2020. (credit: Sara Stathas for the Washington Post)

Wisconsin's controversial decision to hold a primary election in the middle of the coronavirus epidemic has led to the infection of at least seven people, Milwaukee health officials say.

According to officials, six voters and one poll worker have tested positive for COVID-19. They added that more cases could emerge in the coming days. It's also not known how many infections may have happened in other parts of the state.

Fears of the coronavirus caused drastic shortfalls in volunteers to be poll workers for the April 7 election. That, in turn, forced officials to reduce the number of polling sites. Milwaukee was one of the hardest-hit parts of the state, with the number of voting locations falling from 180 to five. That forced some voters to wait in line for hours if they wanted to cast a vote.

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