Wisconsin goes to polls in largest ever recall vote

By Brendan O'Brien

MILWAUKEE | Tue Aug 9, 2011 8:08pm EDT

(Reuters) - Residents in six Wisconsin state Senate districts went to the polls on Tuesday in the nation's largest ever cluster of recall elections, which could provide an early clue of trends for the 2012 presidential race.

Control of the state Senate hangs in the balance as Democrats need to win three of the six races contested on Tuesday to take back the Senate, provided they also retain the two seats up for election on August 16.

With the final hour of voting approaching, poll workers said turnout was high in many of the races.

In Fond du Lac, where Republican State Senator Randy Hopper is defending his seat, Stuart Bellant, a 61-year-old retired railroad conductor, stood on a corner with a sign supporting Jessica King, the Democrat hoping to unseat Hopper.

"I believe in my heart that the Democrats are going to win this election," he said. "I think we're going to swing the majority."

But Hopper's backers were just as confident. Wade Ellingson, 70, of Fond du Lac called Tuesday's recalls "a waste of time and money" and predicted the incumbent would emerge the winner. "He's a businessman and understands what's going on."

In all, six state Senate Republicans face recall elections on Tuesday in what has become a referendum on Republican Governor Scott Walker's conservative policies.

Two Senate Democrats face challengers on August 16 and one retained his seat in July.

A Walker-led drive this year to limit the power of public sector unions prompted massive pro-union protests and helped lead to the recall elections.

"I think it's really important for people to show that what is going on in Madison and Governor Walker's leadership are really off the mark," said Nancy Bornstein, a Shorewood resident who voted in a race near Milwaukee.

In Whitefish Bay north of Shorewood, resident Tony Marchese called the elections "bogus" after casting his vote at the city library and said the senators were "hired" to vote and did so.

"There should be no recall at all, not at all because nobody that is being recalled did any damage and didn't do anything wrong," Marchese said.

HIGH SPENDING

Spending on the nine elections had reached $33 million, most of it from outside special interest groups. Interest group spending has far eclipsed the Wisconsin record of about $20 million set in 2008 elections that covered half the state Senate and all Assembly members.

There have been 20 state-level recall elections in U.S. history before this year and never six in a single day. All told, there are 10 recall elections expected the remainder of this year including the nine in Wisconsin and one in Arizona.

In two other significant recall elections earlier this year, the Democratic mayor of Omaha, Nebraska survived while the mayor of Miami-Dade county, Florida was ousted.

Wisconsin voters have heard a constant stream of radio and television ads about the race -- and signs for the candidates dot lawns and farmers' fields like late-summer weeds in the contested districts.

The contests have included accusations of dirty tricks -- with Milwaukee prosecutors launching investigations into voter bribery charges in one race.

The polling places close at 8 p.m.

(Additional reporting by Mary Wisniewski and David Bailey; Writing by James B. Kelleher; Editing by Greg McCune)