Downtown Milwaukee rally, march to Fiserv Forum kicked off early voting
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Early voting kicked off across the state of Wisconsin on Tuesday.
A rally was held at the Milwaukee Area Technical College campus to encourage people to go out and vote; followed by a march headed toward Fiserv Forum, which is one of the main polling sites located in downtown Milwaukee.
A community gathered, chanting "Fired up, ready to vote!" and "This is what Democracy looks like!"
"Democracy is a participatory sport, you cannot sit on the sidelines and expect for things to get done, you've got to be in the arena," said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson.
Mackenzie Hare and Emily Lachapell are freshmen who are part of the women's basketball team at Marquette University. They shared their excitement of being first-time voters.
"We finally get like the chance to use our voice and really make a change," said Mackenzie Hare.
"Especially with Wisconsin being a swing state, it's a great opportunity, obviously," added Emily Lachapell.
State Representative David Bowen said Milwaukee residents have been through a lot in the past, especially when it comes to voter suppression. He wants the community to know that the process is an easy one.
"Know that you won't have to wait hours in line, you won't have to take off so much time from work, you can really coordinate this, especially with early voting," he said.
Here's what you need to know:
- Early voting runs through Saturday Nov. 5
- Early Voter registration deadline (including changing your home address) ends Friday, Nov. 4
- Applications for absentee ballots must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Nov. 3