MADISON, Wis. -- While turnout was predicted to be low, hundreds of voters went to the polls on Tuesday to weigh in on a number of state, county and local issues.

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Polls around Wisconsin closed at 8 p.m. on Tuesday and the process of tallying the results is still going on for some races.

Election officials said that they expected low turnout for the spring election. They said about 20 percent of Wisconsin voters were anticipated to head to the polls.

Topping the ballot on Tuesday was the statewide race for a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice. The race's negative, third-party attack ads garnered a lot of attention in recent weeks. In something of an upset, incumbent Justice Louis Butler lost to challenger Judge Michael Gableman from Burnett County. A sitting judge hasn't lost an election since 1967. (For more, click here)

In the other major statewide issue, voters backed a referendum to alter the state constitution so the state's governors will no longer wield the so-called "Frankenstein" veto. This power allowed the governor to veto words or punctuation in legislation and thus potentially create new sentences with different meanings -- all unapproved by the state Legislature. Critics charge that this veto allowed the governor to make laws without the Legislature. (For more, click here)

The spring election also included a number of area referenda, city council and county board races. Meanwhile, about 20 area school districts voted on various referenda. A large number of those are for smaller school districts where voters were to decide if they want to maintain the current level of education.

School Districts Seek Additional Funds

Residents in the Wisconsin Heights School District narrowly voted down a proposal seeking to exceed levy limits that would allow the district to spend $800,000 during the next two years. District officials said that they were seeking to avoid more staff layoffs and program cuts by circumventing state revenue caps. The measure failed by 995-942 votes.

Similar referenda were rejected by voters in Waupun and Poynette, but approved in Lake Mills, Middleton-Cross Plains and Portage.

Voters in the Poynette School District on Tuesday rejected a referendum to borrow nearly $13.5 million to close their elementary schools and upgrade school facilities.

Last year, voters in the Poynette School District said no to closing one elementary school. On Tuesday, they said no to closing both, building a new K-3 school, and putting grades four through eight in a remodeled K-8 building.

In the Beloit area, residents split on two proposals to improve Beloit Turner Schools. A referendum seeking to renovate a stadium and land at a cost of $2.5 million was shot down 53 percent to 47 percent. However, another question seeking to upgrade the building and equipment with a $6.1 million pricetag was approved by a 54 percent to 42 percent margin.

Meanwhile, Kimberly Thompson and Michael Ramsdail won seats on the Beloit School District's Board of Education.

In Janesville, Kevin Murray, Bill Sodemann and Peggy Sheridan were elected to spots on the Janesville School District's Board of Education.

Important referenda are also on the ballot in more than a dozen other school districts.

Voters Elect Mayors, Council Members For Local Municipalities

Also there are dozens of municipal and county government posts and referenda up for election on Tuesday.

In the Verona area, voters struck down a proposal to merge the city and the Town of Verona.

A majority of residents in the city and town had to approve the merger, but town voters said no by a 215-vote margin. In contrast, nine out of 10 city of Verona voters passed the proposal.

If it had passed, one group would have governed the entire area and land north of County Road RD would have become part of Madison in the next few decades.

Prior to the vote, some Town of Verona residents expressed concern about increased taxes and the future of certain land that could've been annexed into Fitchburg or Madison. Some said that they were worried about potential school boundaries.

Community members said that the issue is likely to come up again, WISC-TV reported.

In Dane County, candidates Scott McDonnell, Brett Hulsey, Wyndham Manning, John Hendrick, Matt Veldran, Dianne Hesselbein, Al Matano, Paul Rusk, Melanie Hampton, Ronn Ferrell, Dorothy Wheeler, Mark Opitz, Kurt Schlicht, Patrick Downing, Jack Martz, Patrick Miles and Cynda Solberg won slots on the Board of Supervisors. During the campaign, several candidates debated issues like how to prevent violence and whether to add more sheriff's deputies.

South of Dane County, candidates Arthur Phillips, Henry Brill, Katie Kuznacic, Richard Bostwick, Richard Ott, Terry Thomas, Jane Thompson and Ronald Combs were elected to seats on the Rock County Board of Supervisors.

Three new members were elected to the Janesville City Council Tuesday, which changes the composition of half the council. Tom McDonald, Kathy Voskuil and Yuri Rashkin were elected to the council Tuesday.

In Milwaukee, Mayor Tom Barrett and Milwaukee County executive Scott Walker were looking to hold onto their seats, as was District 2 Court of Appeals Judge Lisa S. Neubauer. A number of other local issues were to be decided.

Barrett won his re-election with nearly 80 percent of the vote Tuesday.

With 307 of 314 precincts reporting, Barrett had 79 percent of the votes to 21 percent for challenger Andrew Shaw. Barrett became the mayor in 2004. He also served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1992 to 2002. He said he will continue to focus on creating jobs and lowering crime.

Walker survived a challenge from state Sen. Lena Taylor in Tuesday's election. Taylor, a Milwaukee Democrat, conceded defeat but said she "just ran out of time" in her bid to unseat Walker, a former Republican legislator.

"A little more money and a little more time, we probably could have done more," she said.

Walker said he hoped to work with Taylor and other legislators on the many issues confronting the county. With 89 percent of precincts reporting, unofficial returns showed Walker with 57 percent of the votes and Taylor with 42 percent.

Neubauer, 50, won a full 6-year term Tuesday, defeating attorney William Gleisner.

Neubauer had been appointed to the Waukesha-based District 2 Court of Appeals by Gov. Jim Doyle in January after Judge Neal Nettesheim's retirement at the end of last year. That term ends July 31. With 40 percent of precincts reporting, Nebauer had 60 percent to 40 percent for Gleisner, who is 61. Both candidates had promised to uphold the court's position as an "error corrector" by exercising restraint in following the law.

The polls opened statewide at 7 a.m.

Stay tuned to WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for continuing coverage.