Democrat Appointed Chair of State Elections Commission
Ann Jacobs will lead commission as it wrestles with election policy during a pandemic.
Voters wait in a long line at Hamilton High School. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
In a unanimous vote Wednesday, Democrat-appointed commissioner Ann Jacobs was elected chair of the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Jacobs will replace Republican-appointed Dean Knudson who has held the position for two years. Democrats and Republicans trade off control of the commission, which is split evenly 3-3 between parties.
The terms of both Knudson and Jacobs run through May 1, 2021.
Knudson oversaw the commission as it dealt with the controversial April 7 elections in Wisconsin held during the COVID-19 pandemic while the state was under Gov. Tony Evers’ “Safer-at-home” order. As the commission tried to make decisions surrounding access to voting and reacted to federal and state court decisions, the body frequently split down party lines on important votes.
At a meeting last week, the commission voted to send absentee ballot applications to millions of registered voters, but largely sidestepped the problem of coming to consensus on what should be said in the planned letter to those voters.
When the commission meets to discuss the issue, Jacobs will be chair, though the body’s partisan divides will not change.
The WEC is next scheduled to meet June 10.
Reprinted with permission of Wisconsin Examiner.
“partisan divides will not change.”
These problems were brought about when ex-governor Walker and his gerrymandered troops disposed of the Wisconsin Government Accountablilty Board.
The damage that was wreaked upon Wisconsin will take hard work, time and honorable people to correct, but it can be done.
Voter turn out is the primary tool.
Congratulations and the best to Ann Jacobs.
The terms of both Knudson and Jacobs run through May 1, 2021 I assume that Ann Jacobs term of office started May ?? 2020 and will go till May?? 2022 not 2021.
Thanks for the great reporting