Despite the critical role of Madison voters in deciding which candidate wins Wisconsin’s electoral votes, many University of Wisconsin-Madison students who are also Minnesota residents have opted to vote absentee for their home state in Tuesday’s election.
Many students from Minnesota have chosen to use their vote to weigh in on the referendums on their state’s ballot, including the marriage amendment and Voter ID law.
If passed, the marriage amendment would change the state constitution to define marriage as an institution between a man and woman. The Voter ID law would require that all citizens present a valid photo ID in order to vote.
Mackie Prust, a UW-Madison sophomore who voted absentee for Minnesota, said although he felt his vote for the presidential election would count more in Wisconsin, he felt the need to voice his opposition toward the two amendments.
UW-Madison senior Marie Kumerow shared his sentiment. Kumerow said the phrasing of the marriage amendment is such that its passage would negate future options for gay marriage.
“I know that my vote would have meant something for Wisconsin, too, based on the closeness of the current presidential election, but I thought this was a more important thing in the long term,” said Kumerow. “The referendum would be on the books forever.”
However, UW-Madison sophomore Megan Opperman said she did not feel conflicted about where she would vote. She said she felt loyal to her home in Minnesota and the referendums. She also said the passage of the Voter ID law would cut some youth and elderly out of the voting demographic in Minnesota.
Hannah Goodno, a UW-Madison senior from Minnesota, who plans on voting in Madison tomorrow, said she still “felt torn.”
“I decided to vote in Wisconsin because it’s a swing state. I don’t know what would be worse for me–maybe [if the amendments passed] in Minnesota because it would have immediate implications for gay people there,” Goodno said. “But if Obama doesn't win in Wisconsin, and Romney wins, then that affects gay rights across the country.”
