Wisconsin's GOP speaker defends holding election while draped in PPE

Wisconsin's state Speaker Robin Vos (R) defended the Wisconsin Supreme Court's decision to host primary elections Tuesday in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, telling a reporter with The Journal Times: "You are incredibly safe to go out."

Why it matters: Vos made the comments while donning a mask, gloves and protective gown, an image that underscored the health concerns that many have expressed about Tuesday's elections.

• The speaker, who was working as an election inspector at a polling place in Racine County, said that election officials gave him the protective gear and said it was "mandatory to wear it."

What he's saying: "You can come to a polling place and do it safely. You have the ability to do curbside voting," Vos said. "People have to use their own best judgment."

• "They have to make sure that if they're compromised in any way or worried about the safety of their family, they do it really smartly. But I look at what's happening here today and it really makes me proud," he added.

The big picture: Gov. Tony Evers issued an executive order attempting to delay the state's primary election on Monday, but the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck it down and ruled that the election must go on as scheduled. Republicans refused to work with Evers to delay the election and are seeking to win a key state Supreme Court race.

Go deeper ... In photos: Wisconsin votes as coronavirus crisis intensifies