“We have people, out of the kindness of their heart, have volunteered to drive around and witness ballots and deliver them to the clerk’s office,” said Matt Lederer, the Democratic Party chairman in Outagamie County, in the Fox Valley between Milwaukee and Green Bay. “We’re making phone calls and we're doing our best but so far, I’m hearing that the turnout seems low.”

Republicans, meanwhile, said they knew of few problems outside of Milwaukee, which has long been portrayed by the state’s conservatives as the source of Wisconsin’s problems. There was little sympathy.

“Everybody had a fair opportunity to vote,” said Dennis Gasper, the Republican Party chairman in Sheboygan County. “Nobody’s having a problem voting. I went by a number of our polling places and there’s no lines out in the country.”

Black voters in Milwaukee are hit hardest by coronavirus.

Milwaukee is the epicenter of Wisconsin’s coronavirus pandemic, and the black community in Milwaukee is among the most ravaged. As of Tuesday afternoon, Milwaukee county’s coronavirus dashboard showed black Americans made up 626 of the county’s 1,387 confirmed cases, and 36 of its 51 deaths.

The numbers informed the fear among residents who decided to vote Tuesday, braving crowds and even some hail to cast their ballots. Milwaukee had a massive drop off in poll workers ahead of Tuesday’s election, forcing the city to close all but five of its polling station. Some residents had to wait more than two hours, while covering their faces with makeshift masks and trying to maintain proper social distancing.

“Everything has changed,” said Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, a native of Milwaukee. “And folks had more time to figure this out, and we don’t.”

Mr. Barnes said it was already clear that the coronavirus pandemic had upended the state’s political landscape. He said the city should be commended for releasing such race-driven data on the virus, and that elected officials had to be creative in their solutions moving forward, as typical forms of political organizing, like rallies or door-knocking, won’t work.