Assembly Advances GOP Election Bills, But No Monday Processing
One proposal would eliminate 'central count' locations, which clerks use to be more transparent and efficient.
Voters walk to an early voting location Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020, at Waukesha City Hall. Angela Major/WPR
Assembly lawmakers on Wednesday approved a slate of GOP-authored election bills, including one that would change how absentee ballots are processed and eliminate the use of central count locations.
But the measures approved do not include a plan to begin processing absentee ballots a day before the election, an idea that has long enjoyed bipartisan support. Republican backers of that plan — also known as Monday processing — have said there is not enough GOP support to get it across the finish line.
Instead, the bill approved Wednesday has many other provisions. It would ban the use of central count locations, where all absentee ballots from different wards are tallied at a single site. It would require any authorized absentee ballot drop box to be in a permanent building — as opposed to a mobile collection van or pop-up spot in a park. It would require clerks to return improperly filled ballots to voters, and elections officials to text voters that they’ve received their absentee ballot applications.
While Democrats have supported elements of the proposal in the past, they criticized the bill as a whole, saying it does not address what voters are concerned about.
Rep. Lee Snodgrass, D-Appleton — who recently praised Rep. Scott Krug, R-Rome, for his work leading the Assembly elections committee — criticized him for not getting a clean Monday processing bill to the floor.
Krug defended the bill as responding to other concerns from voters.
“I do think that a Monday process would benefit the state of Wisconsin. I think we can figure out how to get there. We’re not there right now,” he said.
Other elections bills
Lawmakers also approved a bill to require anyone attempting to recall a person from office, or get someone onto a ballot, to live in Wisconsin. That proposal comes after twice-failed efforts to recall Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, which Vos described as orchestrated by out-of-state activists.
Another bill would require the Wisconsin Elections Commission to investigate itself if it’s accused of violating the federal Help America Vote Act. Currently, the commission investigates other HAVA complaints, but a state Supreme Court decision determined it cannot hear complaints against itself. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice threatened to withhold funds from the commission if it doesn’t come into compliance with HAVA, although it does not currently receive federal funds.
Other election related legislation passed on Wednesday include:
- Expand the definition of “aggrieved” after voters file complaints against election officials and want to appeal
- Require ballot questions, including proposed constitutional amendments, to be explained using language approved by both chambers of the Legislature, with that information to be posted at polling places, sent out with absentee ballots and published online.
- Establish new deadlines for the steps involved in certifying presidential election results
- Make it a crime for election workers to interfere with, or deny access for, election observers.
GOP elections bills advance in Wisconsin Assembly was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
