A ballot machine malfunction in Fond du Lac delayed voters for a short time early this afternoon, in one of the six recall elections drawing strong turnout of electors in Wisconsin.

Ballots cast during the temporary shutdown in Fond du Lac were placed in an auxiliary bin, then scanned through a new machine when it was delivered about 12:30 p.m., said City Clerk Sue Strands. No voters were turned away, although some may have left instead of waiting in line, she said.

All of the ballots were counted.

Strand forecast a turnout of 70% to 80% in the race pitting incumbent Randy Hopper (R-Empire) against challenger Jessica King, a Democrat and former deputy mayor in Oshkosh.

Initial reports from the polls forecast a strong turnout in the recall elections for all six Republican incumbents. The recalls stemmed from their support of Gov. Scott Walker's union-bargaining legislation. Two Democratic senators will face recalls next week.

Few election problems were reported as of mid-afternoon, although officials with the state Government Accountability Board were called upon to interpret rules for election clerks.

In Butler, village officials and poll observers from the Election Defense Alliance worked out an accommodation to allow exit polling in Butler Tuesday morning.

Jonathan Simon, executive director of the Alliance, had a different view, said his workers were looking to interview voters leaving the polls inside the village hall and have them verify their vote. The organization planned to compare the exit polls with the ballot totals, in an attempt to uncover fraud.

The difficulties in the early hours prevented the observers from gathering enough data to serve their purpose, Simon said.

Village Administrator Jesse Thyes said the exit poll takers were moved to the sidewalk for safety reasons and to provide a free flow of voters in and out of the village hall.

The recalls have drawn national attention and massive spending from both sides.

The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a group that tracks campaign spending, said Tuesday that outside groups had spent $30 million to $31 million on the race, with candidates spending $5 million to $6 million. That adds up to at least $35 million in total spending on the races.

The only complaints that Magney had heard Tuesday morning were from voters upset about the state's new requirement to sign poll books and other voters angry that they didn't live in a district where they could vote in a recall.

In Richfield, village workers removed a sign that directed voters to have proof of identification in hand as they went to vote. It was intended only to speed the processing, but raised confusion over the requirement. The law requiring a photo I.D. has not taken effect.

Campaign officials on both Republican and Democratic sides also said Tuesday that they weren't aware of any major problems with voting so far.

Mordecai Lee, a political scientist and professor of governmental affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, says he voted at 8 a.m. at the Whitefish Bay Public Library, and he was No. 237 when he voted in the 8th Senate District recall election between Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) and challenger Rep. Sandy Pasch (D-Whitefish Bay).

'Voting was as heavy as a presidential election,' he wrote. 'Nowhere to park, traffic jams, lines, etc. Amazing.'

Up in Darling country in River Hills, Barb Goeckner, village clerk-treasurer, said Darling voted shortly after 7 a.m. As for the turnout so far, she said, 'It's been steady.'

In Shorewood, also in Darling's district, Mary Jo McDonald, chief election inspector at the Shorewood Intermediate School polling place, said she expected 2,000 voters Tuesday, well above the 1,100 or so who voted in the July 12 primary. And turnout in Shorewood was relatively strong in that election.

Fond du Lac City Clerk Sue Strands on Monday projected a high turnout of 75% to 80% of registered voters in her area, where Sen. Randy Hopper (R-Empire) faces a challenge from Democrat and former Oshkosh Deputy Mayor Jessica King.

On Tuesday, deputy city clerk Maggie Hefter said Fond du Lac poll workers were reporting some lines and turnout that looked in line with Strands' prediction.

'We've heard from a couple of the poll workers. It sounds like pretty good turnout,' Hefter said.

Brenda Zeman of the clerk's office in the city of Baraboo, where Sen. Luther Olsen (R-Ripon) faces Rep. Fred Clark (D-Baraboo), said so far she had heard reports of 'pretty good turnout' with no major problems.

The union group We are Wisconsin is using automated phone calls from former Green Bay Packers nose tackle and Super Bowl champion Gilbert Brown to motivate residents to get out and vote, according to a recording of the calls released by the group.

Meanwhile, Gov. Scott Walker has reached out to get contact information for Republican and Democratic recall candidates. Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie confirmed the move after an anonymous Democratic source said the governor had been seeking the information of Democratic candidates.

Also this week, the two Democratic senators facing recall elections on Aug. 16 reported that they outraised their GOP challengers and have several times as much cash left over.

Sen. Jim Holperin (D-Conover) raised $140,600 during the most recent reporting period, compared with the $109,800 raised by GOP challenger Kim Simac.

Holperin spent $100,800, leaving him with $187,600. Simac spent $113,700 and was left with $49,700 in cash. Candidate spending, however, is less important than it once was because of the rise of large spending by independent groups in legislative elections.

Holperin is one of the two Democratic senators facing recall elections next week after leaving the state to block a vote on Gov. Scott Walker's union bargaining legislation.

In the other race, Republican Jonathan Steitz is challenging Sen. Bob Wirch (D-Pleasant Prairie).

In the most recent period, Wirch raised $53,400 and spent $103,500, leaving him with $91,700.

Steitz raised $38,700. He spent $27,900, leaving him with $23,300 in cash.