Milwaukee, WI
The public watches as Milwaukee conducts a demonstration of Election Day voting equipment
How to register to vote in Wisconsin (you’ll need a have a photo ID)
Here’s how to register and vote in Wisconsin.
Nearly a dozen observers gathered at the City of Milwaukee Election Commission’s warehouse in the city’s Bay View neighborhood Saturday to watch as election workers conducted a public test of the equipment that will be used to tally votes on Nov. 5.
At one of the machines stood Election Commission Executive Director Paulina Gutiérrez fielding detailed questions from a group of eight. Behind her, test ballots whirred through one of the machines that lined the wall inside a back room of the warehouse.
The log of observers indicated that eight were from the Republican Party. Of the remaining three, one was listed as “Wisconsin Election Protection,” one was a member of the public and one was an employee of the company that makes the machines.
“Public testing is part of the statutory process of election preparation, but I think it really gives the public an opportunity to see how we do the work that we do and to see the machines and … familiarize themselves with those machines, and then also learn about our process,” Gutiérrez told reporters.
Municipalities must conduct the public test within 10 days before an election, a step meant to ensure that voting equipment programming is accurate, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
To ensure the election equipment is tallying results correctly, election officials feed a set of pre-marked ballots into each machine and review the results that are generated. The testing only ends when the count is free of errors, with any problems found in the testing being fixed before the equipment can be used in the election, according to the state Elections Commission.
Public test of election equipment comes as intense scrutiny of Milwaukee’s election process expected on Nov. 5
The public test comes just over a week before the city’s election administration is expected to again be under intense scrutiny in the tight race for the White House between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump in 2020 leaned into false claims, including about voting in Milwaukee, to try to undermine the election in which he lost the White House to his Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
Trump lost Wisconsin by about 21,000 votes, an outcome confirmed by recounts he paid for, court rulings, a nonpartisan state audit and a study by a prominent conservative group.
Gutiérrez on Saturday urged those with concerns about the city’s election process to participate in the process by serving as a poll worker.
And, she said, people who are conducting the election as poll workers are a bipartisan group consisting of members of the community.
“The staff that work for us are amazing staff,” she said. “It’s thousands of people that live and work in this community. They are your neighbors. They are your friends.”
Among the observers Saturday was Doug Kwikkel of Hartland.
The GOP volunteer said he wanted to come Saturday to see how the process works. He said he was comforted to see paper ballots being used and how “exacting” election officials were in their processes.
Kwikkel said he saw it as his duty as an American to participate.
A first-time election observer, Kwikkel said he got involved now because “this election is way too important for us not to get out and vote and participate.”
He plans to observe at one of the city’s polling places on Election Day, too, he said.
Election machines ‘passed the rigorous logic and accuracy standards’ ahead of Election Day
On Saturday, the city’s public test included all 13 high-speed “tabulators” that will be used to tally results from tens of thousands of absentee ballots at Milwaukee’s central county location and a sampling of the machines that will be used at the city’s 180 individual polling locations.
All machines that will be used to count votes on Nov. 5 were previously tested and “passed the rigorous logic and accuracy standards,” according to a city Election Commission spokesperson.
Gutiérrez has estimated that the city could receive 80,000 absentee ballots. As of 10:40 a.m. Saturday, the city had issued 65,487 absentee ballots and 49,067 had been returned. In-person absentee voting started Tuesday.
On Saturday, election officials used 5,000 test ballots that showed every possible combination of votes that could be on a ballot, Gutiérrez said. That is meant to test every seat on the ballot to make sure the machine is counting it accurately.
Once the public testing is over, all of the results on the machines are cleared to zero and then the machines are sealed. They will not be reopened until Election Day, when officials will check again that the machines have not been unsealed, she said.
The ballot counting process then begins, with two specially trained people working together, she said.
“In elections, it’s always a big paper trail, checks and balances,” she said. “And even after the election is over, there are multiple audits at multiple levels of government.”
Milwaukee absentee ballot results will be tallied at the Baird Center on Election Day
The results of the city’s absentee ballots will be tallied at the Baird Center in downtown Milwaukee on Election Day.
Once all the absentee ballots are counted, a second lengthy process begins.
Election Commission staff must export the results from each of the 13 machines that count the absentee votes onto thumb drives, which are then secured in a bag and taken by a bipartisan team to the Milwaukee County Courthouse in a police vehicle, Gutiérrez said. There, they are uploaded to the county’s election-night website, a process that also takes time.
In Wisconsin, the election process is open to the public to observe.
Milwaukee is likely to be one of the last, if not the last, to report its absentee ballot results.
Gutiérrez expects those results to be reported after midnight on Nov. 6.
Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@jrn.com.
Milwaukee Police Department (MPD)
MILWAUKEE – A person was beaten to death in Milwaukee overnight on Sunday, Nov. 23.
Incident details
What we know:
According to the Milwaukee Police Department, at about midnight, the 47-year-old victim got into a physical altercation with other people and was struck multiple times on the front and back of the head.
The altercation happened near 11th and Locust.
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The victim was taken to a local hospital by an associate of theirs, but suffered fatal head injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
MPD tips
What you can do:
Police are looking for those responsible.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-Tips or use the P3 Tips app.
The Source: The Milwaukee Police Department sent FOX6 the information.
The Milwaukee Bucks will be without some key cogs against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
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Per the Bucks’ official X account, the club will still be missing nine-time All-NBA power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, starting point guard (for now) Kevin Porter Jr., and reserve 3-and-D forward Taurean Prince due to injury. Giannis’ little brother, Alex, will be putting in reps with the Bucks’ NBAGL affiliate in Oshkosh, the Wisconsin Herd.
Injury Update: Kyle Kuzma (Illness) is questionable for tonight’s game vs. Detroit.
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 22, 2025
Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to miss the next one-to-two weeks of action, at least, with a low-grade left groin strain. The two-time league MVP had previously been shelved because of nagging knee tendinitis, which cost him two games prior to this latest ailment.
When he has been available this year (in 13 games so far), the 2021 Finals MVP has been averaging 31.2 points on .629/.500/.636 shooting splits, 10.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.2 blocks and 0.9 steals a night.
Obviously, missing the Bucks’ best player will prove costly against the hottest team in the league. Detroit is in the midst of an 11-game win streak, and doesn’t seem likely to drop even a road matchup in Milwaukee, at least without the threat of Antetokounmpo.
Other Milwaukee Absences, Explained
Prince, meanwhile, underwent neck surgery to treat a herniated disc, and could be unavailable for multiple months as he recuperates.
Porter, anointed to be nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard’s positional successor at the starting point guard spot heading into the year, has missed all but one game for Milwaukee. The 6-foot-4 USC product first sprained his ankle during the Bucks’ season opener, and then tore his meniscus in his rehab ramp-up. Without Porter, Ryan Rollins has stepped up.
Rollins’ development likely signifies the end of Porter’s tenure as his club’s starting point guard, especially the longer his recovery drags on. Through 16 games, the 23-year-old University of Toledo alum has been averaging 18.3 points on .511/.443/.800 shooting splits, 5.9 dimes, 3.9 boards and 1.6 swipes per bout.
Per the team, newly-minted starting small forward Kyle Kuzma has seen his status demoted to questionable ahead of the Pistons clash, as he may be struck down by a new, unspecified illness.
According to the league’s latest injury report, Pistons power forward Tobias Harris (right ankle sprain) and shooting guard Jaden Ivey (return to competition reconditioning) are questionable to play. Combo forward Bobi Klintman (left ankle sprain), power forward Isaac Jones (G League assignment), guard Marcus Sasser (right hip impingement), and two-way players Wendell Moore Jr. and Tolu Smith (on assignment to Detroit’s G League squad) are all out.
Latest Bucks News
For more news and notes on the Milwaukee Bucks, visit Milwaukee Bucks on SI.
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee celebrated the lighting of its 112th annual Christmas tree Thursday evening in the Deer District, marking the second-longest-running Christmas tree lighting tradition in the United States behind only New York City.
The 42-foot Colorado blue spruce, donated by Kaitlyn Schmidt Thabet and Amgad Thabet, was transformed with vibrant jewel tones, large reflective metallic ornaments, oversized snowflakes and lighted stars inspired by the theme “Shining Together.”
“This tree stands as a celebration of Milwaukee’s incredible spirit during the winter season,” said David Caruso, designer of the Christmas tree and local event planner and TV host. “My hope is that it fills your evening and your holidays with light, joy and pride.”
Watch the full tree lighting ceremony:
Milwaukee lights 112th annual Christmas tree in historic Deer District celebration
Mayor Cavalier Johnson emphasized the historic significance of the event during his remarks to the crowd gathered in the Deer District.
“Tonight is special, not just because the holiday brings people together, but because this is a historic night for Milwaukee,” Johnson said. “Our Christmas tree lighting in the City of Milwaukee is the second-longest-running Christmas tree lighting in the United States of America, only behind New York City.”
The celebration featured performances by the Reagan High School varsity Drumline and entertainment by Guyton Entertainment and DJ YC.
Santa Claus made a special appearance, accompanied by his reindeer. Another famous deer — Bucks mascot Bango, also took part in the celebration.
Peter Feigin, president of the Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv Forum, expressed pride in hosting the tree lighting in the Deer District.
“This is what we dreamed about when we built the Deer District,” Feigin said. “This is one of the greatest things.”
The celebration concluded with the mayor’s family and other children helping to officially light the tree, continuing Milwaukee’s 112-year tradition of bringing the community together for the holidays.
The event also launched the new Deer District Holiday Market, which runs through November 30 in the beer garden area. The market features local makers, food and drinks.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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