GOP Scheming to Limit Voting Before November 2016 Election is Even Over

MADISON, Wis. — The November 2016 election isn’t even over and already top state Republicans are advocating for new restrictions to limit voter participation in elections. According to a report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Assembly Republican Speaker Robin Vos is suggesting he will push to pass new limits on early voting in Wisconsin.

Earlier this year in the federal voting rights case One Wisconsin Institute et. al. v. Thomsen et. al. the judge struck down limits on early voting hours and days imposed under Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican-controlled legislature and lifted restrictions on satellite early voting.

In his ruling, Judge James Peterson wrote that “The Legislature’s immediate goal was to achieve a partisan objective…” in passing early voting restrictions and that the measures were designed to suppress the votes of legal voters.

As a result of early voting restrictions being lifted, municipalities across the state offered voters the opportunity and convenience of casting their votes during evening hours, on weekends and in multiple locations. The result is record numbers of early votes being cast.

The following are the statements of One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross:

“The polls haven’t even closed and already Speaker Robin Vos and his Republican cohorts are scheming for ways to limit voting in future elections.

“When the federal court struck down the last round of anti-voter laws concocted by Gov. Scott Walker, Robin Vos and the Republican legislature he found that they were rigging the rules on voting to give themselves an unfair advantage and disenfranchising legal voters because of where they lived and who they voted for.

“Every legal voter in every corner of our state deserves to have the opportunity to vote for whomever they choose and to have that vote counted, regardless of whether Robin Vos, Gov. Walker or any other politicians like the choices they make.

“Early voting is an overwhelming success as shown by the record levels of participation in areas of the state that have offered voters more convenience and more opportunity to vote.

“It’s sad that Robin Vos believes too many people are participating in our democracy and that he’s willing to use his position as an elected official to try to suppress the votes of legal voters in Wisconsin.

“The good news is, he’s not going to get away with it.”

One Wisconsin Now is a statewide communications network specializing in effective earned media and online organizing to advance progressive leadership and values.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.