Join us for Civic Media’s live election night coverage!
Live from Madison, with reporters and guests from around the state, from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. Plus: Dan Shafer joins the Washington Post Opinion page's election night live chat.
The Recombobulation Area is a thirteen-time Milwaukee Press Club award-winning weekly opinion column and online publication founded by longtime Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. The Recombobulation Area is now part of Civic Media.
Folks, today is the day. It’s Election Day 2024.
And we’re here in Wisconsin, one of a handful of states that will determine the Electoral College winner in the presidential election. Control of the U.S. Senate could come down to the election in Wisconsin. Congressional races across the state could go a long way toward determining which party ends up with the majority in the House. Races in the state legislature — the first under new maps signed into law earlier this year — could change the balance of power in the Assembly and make major changes to the Senate. Up and down the ballot, everything is on the line.
Campaigns have been racing across the state for the last several months, with visit after visit, rally after rally. Polls are as close as ever. Ads have blanketed the state.
But now, it’s up to us. We the people get to decide. Many have already voted — early in-person, absentee by mail or by drop box — and millions more will vote today.
So tonight, as the results roll in for all of these races, Civic Media will be providing special election night coverage, live from Madison.
You can find voter resources, our Election Day live blog, and stream all of our shows live online right at civicmedia.us/vote.
Again, that’s civicmedia.us/vote.
Civic Media’s special election night coverage will run from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.
There’s going to be a whole lot going on with this broadcast. Wisconsin is one of the nation’s true swing states, and we’ll have people all over the state providing updates, and a team assembled in our special Election Night studio at Comedy on State in Madison to break down everything you need to know about what’s happening in Wisconsin.
I’ll be there in my role as Political Editor, focusing on — you guessed it! — races in the Wisconsin State Legislature.
(And the presidential and Senate elections, too, of course.)
Civic Media’s special coverage begins at 6 p.m. with hosts Jane Matenaer and Pete Schwaba.
At 8 p.m., when polls close, Todd Allbaugh and Pat Kreitlow will be anchoring Civic Media’s live coverage. Hosts Maggie Daun, Dom Salvia and Earl Ingram will also be in studio providing analysis and commentary over the course of the night, as will Trygve Olsen of The Lincoln Project.
Civic Media will have reporters checking in from all over the state. Many will be on site at election night parties for various candidates.
Here’s which Civic Media reporter will be at each candidate’s watch party event:
U.S. Senate
Tammy Baldwin (D) - Madison
Reporter: Savanna Tomei-Olson
Eric Hovde (R) - Madison
Reporter: Teri Barr
3rd Congressional District
Rebecca Cooke (D) - Eau Claire
Reporter: James Kelly
Derrick Van Orden (R) - La Crosse
Reporter: JoAnn Krulatz (not on location)
8th Congressional District
Tony Wied (R) - Green Bay
Reporter: Lisa Hale
Kristin Lyerly (D) - Green Bay and Appleton
Reporter: Brittney Merlot
Along with live coverage with those candidates at those events, Jimmie Kaska will be covering school referenda, JoAnn Krulatz will be covering elections in southwestern Wisconsin, and Stuart J. Wattles will be covering voting and election issues, along with results in southeastern Wisconsin.
Guests planning to join the broadcast include:
Lee Rasch, Leader Ethics of Wisconsin
Marge Bostleman, Wisconsin Elections Commissioner, former County Clerk, Keep Our Republic Advisory Board member
Nick Ramos, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
Shawn Phetteplace, National Campaign Director for the Main Street Alliance
Melissa Velasquez, Director of Advocacy and Services at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin
Patrick Farabaugh, Founder and Publisher of “Our Lives” Magazine
Scott Klug, former U.S. Congressman
HOW TO WATCH
There are many ways to watch!
The easiest way to watch online is at civicmedia.us/vote.
You can also watch the livestream on these social media platforms:
HOW TO LISTEN
There are many ways to listen!
Find the Civic Media station in your community by going to civicmedia.us/stations
Tell Alexa “Play Civic Media” on your connected device
LIVE BLOG
There’s a live blog!
Find that at civicmedia.us/vote, where you can see updates on any called races, dispatches from reporters around the state, and commentary from the folks you know across the Civic Media network.
ALSO: I will be joining the Washington Post opinion page’s Election Night live chat to share updates, analysis and commentary on what’s happening in Wisconsin.
We’re looking forward to spending Election Night in Wisconsin with all of you!
Now go cast those ballots, and we’ll see you when it’s time to count ‘em up!
Dan Shafer is a journalist from Milwaukee who writes and publishes The Recombobulation Area. In 2024, he became the Political Editor of Civic Media. He’s also written for The New York Times, The Daily Beast, Heartland Signal, Belt Magazine, WisPolitics, and Milwaukee Record. He previously worked at Seattle Magazine, Seattle Business Magazine, the Milwaukee Business Journal, Milwaukee Magazine, and BizTimes Milwaukee. He’s won 18 Milwaukee Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards. He’s on Twitter at @DanRShafer.
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Follow Dan Shafer on Twitter at @DanRShafer.