Wisconsin recall election results – live coverage

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/06/wisconsin-recall-election-results-live

Version 0 of 7.

8.30pm: There was a lot of talk over Barack Obama's non-appearance in Wisconsin during the recall campaign – but it's worth noting that Mitt Romney didn't show his face in the Badger State either.

2. Romney polling/political operation is strong...We all thought a 5-point Walker win. Maybe they saw something else + why he didn't go in.

RealClearPolitics's very clever Erin McPike also wonders why, via Twitter.

8.25pm: The Guardian's Gary Younge is on the ground in Milwaukee, and sends this alarming news:

Many polling locations here in the inner city of Milwaukee are running out of ballots and voter registration forms. Based on the anecdotes I'm hearing from the field, it's safe to say that hundreds and hundreds of people have not voted as a result.

Here are specifics:

Wards 104, 105: Keenan Health Center, 3200 N 36th St Wards 110, 111: Children's Outing Association, 2320 W Burleigh St. Wards 108, 109: Ben Franklin, 2308 W Nash Other wards: 141, 142, 148 and 170

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel carries a similar report of shortages over an hour ago: "Registration forms and ballots are running out at some City of Milwaukee polling sites."

8.15pm: Some Wisconsin numbers to bear in mind once we see some voting totals later tonight, for comparison with the last election in 2010.

The 2010 governor's race – won narrowly by Scott Walker – saw a total of 2,160,832 votes.

Again, in 2010 – a total of 220,273 votes were cast in Dane County, with 341,017 in Milwaukee, and 188,278 in Waukesha County.

8.10pm: What's making this election live blog especially exciting for me is that the office upstairs is either being rebuilt by drunken teenagers or the CIA has opened a new black site.

8.05pm: With just under an hour to go, what should we be watching out for to judge the winners and losers from the recall election?

• Turnout: it's a cliche of politics but turnout wins elections. In this case, Democrats want to get out the 2008 voters who carried the state for Barack Obama – and then stayed home in 2010 and allowed Scott Walker to narrowly carry the governorship

• Dane County versus Waukesha County: these are the top two vote centres of the state, with heavily Democratic Dane vying against GOP stronghold Waukesha. Turnout in those centres in particular – compared with 2010 – will be important

• Downballot recalls: as well as Walker, the state's Republican lieutenant governor and four Republican state senators are also facing recalls tonight. The Republicans hold a slender 17-16 lead in Wisconsin's upper chamber and a loss of that majority will hurt walker even if he holds on

8pm: Wisconsin's recall election has been a year in the making – and it all comes down to tonight, with polls in the Badger state closing in one hour and governor Scott Walker's fate decided.

Already there is talk of recounts and legal challenges – most likely if the result is close, to within less than 10,000 votes – and anecdotal evidence suggests some parts of the state have seen high turnout, raising the prospect of a long and bitter fight.

We'll be live blogging all the results and activity in Wisconsin as it happens, with the Guardian's journalists Rory Carroll and Gary Younge on the ground and taking the pulse. We'll also be covering the elections happening else in America tonight, most notably in California, where a controversial tobacco tax goes before the voters and a gaggle of Republicans jostle to take on incumbent Democratic senator Diane Feinstein.

So sit back and enjoy the show – it could be a long night. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section below. And you can follow the Guardian team's witty asides and recycled jokes on Twitter here.

Catch up on the rest of the day's action with our earlier live blog here.