By definition, the primary process is a system in which voters can indicate their preference for their party’s candidate. If there are several candidates in one party running, the primaries can help narrow the field.

The 2020 Wisconsin Democratic primary is set for Tuesday, April 7. Wisconsin is one of 12 states to have an open primary. That means that any registered voter can cast a ballot for a nominee in any party, regardless of whether that voter is registered with that candidate's party.

In every election cycle, there are primaries for both main parties. This year, with a Republican incumbent in office, there are only two people, Donald Trump and Bill Weld, attempting to get nominated (or re-nominated) for the Republican ballot.

The Democratic primary is the important one this year, with eight people still vying for the spot (down from 29 at the start). Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, Pete Buttigieg, Tulsi Gabbard, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer, Elizabeth Warren are those current eight candidates.

As of February 21, Sanders (28.7%) leads in the national polls by 11.4 points over Biden (17.3%), with Bloomberg (15.2%) closely rounding out the top three. They are followed by Warren (12.7%), Buttigieg (10.0%), and Klobuchar (6.7%).

With a widely spread democratic field for the 2020 election cycle, it is important that voters participate in the decision for the democratic candidate, and ultimately for the president. The Blackshirt urges you to stay informed, and if you are legally able, use that knowledge to vote in the upcoming election.