Partisan questions that change Wisconsin’s constitution on Tuesday’s ballot, along US Senate, US House and state Assembly races

The August primary voting ends Tuesday for a few different area and statewide races, plus two potential changes to Wisconsin’s constitution.

Sample ballots for each district in La Crosse County can be found here. Your voting place may have changed with new maps in place next year. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. More info can be found at MyVote.

The two constitutional amendments on the back of the ballot were written by Republicans, who are saying to vote yes. The questions had no input from Democrats, who say to vote no.

Republicans began the process of putting the questions on the ballot when Democratic Gov. Tony Evers took power. They made no effort to do the same in the more than a decade when Republican Scott Walker was governor.

The questions have to do with limiting the governor’s powers to distribute federal money and then prohibiting the ability of the legislature to ever change those rules again.

Multiple groups and experts have called the questions confusing.

Wisconsin state Sen. Pfaff said the stakes of changing the state’s constitution are too high to be on a primary ballot that will likely see low voter turnout.

But Republicans have added seven Constitutional Amendments to voters’ ballots this year and last. They can only add two per ballot, and at least one more is set for November.

So, while Wisconsin has six in the 2023-24, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio have combined to put six amendments on ballots during the same time period.

In individual races, La Crosse area Democratic voters will decide who is going to face Republican Derrick Van Orden in the fall election for U.S. House in Wisconsin’s 3rd District.

Rebecca Cooke has been running for about three years now — having narrowly lost in the same primary two years ago to Brad Pfaff.

Also in the race is Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Katrina Shankland, and Eric Wilson, who considers himself a tech and housing expert but has no government experience.

Wilson and Cooke are both out of the Eau Claire area, while Shankland is in Stevens Point.

Also on the ballot for south La Crosse is another Democratic primary to see who will face Republican Loren Oldenburg in the 96th Assembly District.

Former La Crosse County Board chair Tara Johnson is facing Viroqua business owner Steven Campbell in that race.

There’s also a statewide primary for US Senate between Republicans Charles Barman, Eric Hovde and Rejani Raveendran.