>> Amber: TODAY'S ELECTION IS
LIKE NO OTHER.
A LOT OF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, SO
WE'RE LOOKING TO THE EXPERTS FOR
ANSWERS.
DR. MAURICE SHEPPARD IS A
POLITICAL SCIENCE INSTRUCTOR AT
MADISON COLLEGE.
HE'S STANDING BY LIVE OUTSIDE
OUR STUDIOS.
DR. SHEPPARD, THANK YOU FOR
JOINING US TONIGHT.
>> Sheppard: THANK YOU, AMBER.
>> George: DR. SHEPPARD, MANY
PEOPLE ARE VOTING DESPITE THE
POTENTIAL RISK OF BEING EXPOSED
TO COVID-19.
WOULD PEOPLE HAVE GROUNDS TO SUE
IF THEY CONTRACT THE VIRUS AFTER
VOTING IN PERSON?
>> Sheppard: WELL, GEORGE,
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I THINK DURING THIS ELECTION
CYCLE, GIVEN THIS UNIQUE
SITUATION, THAT AND A NUMBER OF
OTHER QUESTIONS WILL NEED TO BE
ADDRESSED.
THIS IS ALL BRAND NEW.
I THINK OF THIS AS A, SADLY, A
REAL-WORLD POLITICAL SCIENCE
SORT OF EXPERIMENT.
>> George: WE'VE BEEN HEARING
TODAY'S PRIMARY IN WISCONSIN IS
A TEST CASE FOR THE NATION.
HOW SO?
>> Sheppard: ONE IN TERMS OF,
AGAIN, REACHING PEOPLE, IN TERMS
OF HOW ACTIVE THEY ARE, IN TERMS
OF THEIR LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION.
I REALLY THINK THIS IS ALSO A
TEST CASE IN TERMS OF, WHAT'S
INTERESTING HERE IS FOR MOST
INDIVIDUALS, MOST VOTERS, THEY
DR. SHEPPARD, ONE MORE FROM ME.
FROM WHAT YOU'VE OBSERVED TODAY,
HOW DO YOU THINK THINGS HAVE
GONE AROUND THE STATE?
>> Sheppard: I THINK IT'S GONE
FAIRLY WELL, GIVEN THE FACT THAT
ALL OF THE VOTING PLACES HAD TO
BE RETROFITTED TO MEET, AGAIN,
THE NEW STANDARDS DURING THIS
PANDEMIC.
I ALSO THINK WHAT'S INTERESTING
IS THAT WE'RE -- I THINK WE MAY
BE A LITTLE SURPRISED IN TERMS
OF VOTER PARTICIPATION AS IT
RELATES TO TURNOUT IN THE
PHYSICAL SENSE, BUT ALSO IN
TERMS OF MAIL-IN ABSENTEE
BALLOTS THAT A NUMBER OF PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN OFF OF WORK, OUT OF
WORK, WORKING FROM HOME, AND IT
WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW
THAT ACTUALLY INFLUENCES LEVELS
OF PARTICIPATION.
IT MAY
