In 2016, Donald J. Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to win Wisconsin since 1984, narrowly defeating Hillary Clinton by roughly 23,000 votes. Now it is among the election’s swing states, and polls have suggested that entering Election Day, Wisconsin has been tilting considerably in Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s favor.
The myriad problems Wisconsin has dealt with throughout the year have encapsulated all of the chaos of 2020. Infections from the coronavirus have been surging in the state this fall; earlier this summer, Kenosha became the site of mass unrest and protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake; and before that, Wisconsin’s attempt to rapidly expand mail voting during the pandemic developed into a debacle.
Surveys have shown that Mr. Trump’s standing has been damaged by his handling of the coronavirus, and Wisconsin will test the effectiveness of the president’s “law and order” message
