One Wisconsin Now
Press Release

History Repeats With Latest Post-Election Republican Attack on Early Voting

Attack on Voter Rights Launched Just Days After Suffering Statewide Election Losses in 2012 and 2018

By - Dec 19th, 2018 12:01 pm
Vote here ward(s) 246, 297, 298. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Vote here ward(s) 246, 297, 298. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

MADISON, Wis. — Mere days after losing every statewide office on the ballot in the November 2018 election, Wisconsin Republicans began drafting legislation to restrict voting. The Wisconsin GOP pulled a similar stunt in 2012. A review of drafting records revealed work began November 8, 2012, two days after Democrats President Obama won Wisconsin and Tammy Baldwin was elected to an open U.S. Senate seat, on a bill that proposed limits on early voting, and specifically targeted weekend voting in Milwaukee for elimination.

“Republicans have time and again sought to rig the rules on voting to give themselves an unfair advantage,” said One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross. “They did it after losing statewide races in November 2012 and they did it after being swept out of statewide office in November 2018.”

Ross noted that the latest effort by Republicans to limit early voting conflicts with a 2016 federal court ruling. In a July 2016 decision, federal Judge James Peterson struck down limits on early voting as racially discriminatory. As a result, municipalities across the state could choose to offer the convenience of early voting in the evening, on weekends and at multiple locations at their discretion to meet the needs of the community. Nearly one in five, a record 565,591 Wisconsinites, cast their votes early or absentee in the November midterm elections.

One Wisconsin Institute, with the support of National Redistricting Foundation, a 501(c)(3) affiliate of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, has returned to court seeking enforcement of the 2016 federal court decision and a subsequent enforcement order that struck down limits on voting rights imposed by Scott Walker and Wisconsin Republicans.

Republicans were fully aware their actions to re-impose restrictions on voting could run afoul of the federal court. A legislative attorney informed Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of the conflict with Judge Peterson’s ruling when he requested, a week after the November 6 election, a bill to impose new restrictions on the times of early voting. Analysis of the measures proposed by Wisconsin Republicans prepared by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau also noted their measures were ruled on in the 2016 case One Wisconsin Institute, et. al. v. Thomsen, et. al.

In November 2012 nearly 400,000 Wisconsin residents took advantage of early voting and several local clerks offered extended hours for voting. Early voting has gained in popularity as over 565,000 casting their vote early or absentee in the November 2018 election that set records for midterm election turnout.

“The kind of anti-democratic stunts Wisconsin Republicans have pulled to limit voting have been found unconstitutional and they remain unconstitutional,” concluded Ross.

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.

Mentioned in This Press Release

Organizations:

Recent Press Releases by One Wisconsin Now

Dan Kelly’s Opinion: It’s OK to Lie in Judicial Campaigns

State Supreme Court Candidate Co-Authored Column Opposing Efforts to Clean Up Court Campaigns

Campaign Cash Keeps Flowing to WILL’s Shill Dan Kelly

Over $14,000 from Board Members of Right-Wing Legal Group to State Court Justice’s Campaign

Right-Wing Group That Wants to Criminalize Abortion Backs Dan Kelly State Supreme Court Campaign

Dan Kelly Supporters Want Court Action to Allow Enforcement of Abortion Ban Dating to 19th Century

Leave a Reply

You must be an Urban Milwaukee member to leave a comment. Membership, which includes a host of perks, including an ad-free website, tickets to marquee events like Summerfest, the Wisconsin State Fair and the Florentine Opera, a better photo browser and access to members-only, behind-the-scenes tours, starts at $9/month. Learn more.

Join now and cancel anytime.

If you are an existing member, sign-in to leave a comment.

Have questions? Need to report an error? Contact Us