Wednesday, March 31, 2021

In The News - March 2021



Northern Wisconsin Appeals Court Candidate Attracts GOP Donors
March 30, 2021 - Rob Mentzer, Wisconsin Public Radio

Concerns Remain About Redistricting in WI
March 4, 2021 - Mike Moen, Public News Service - WI

Republicans propose moving Wisconsin primary date, other election changes
March 1, 2021 - Claire Koeppen, The Badger Herald

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Monday, March 29, 2021

Tell Your Legislators to Oppose These Hyper Partisan Anti-Voter Measures

Monday - March 29, 2021
(Updated May 4, 2021)


Take Action Today!

We hope you will help us speak out against the anti-voter bills that have been introduced into the Wisconsin Legislature that will make voting more complicated and difficult, especially for voters who vote by absentee ballot which, in Wisconsin, has continuously been a common way for older voters and voters with disabilities to cast their ballots. This has also been the voting option a majority of Wisconsin voters used in 2020 during the pandemic. [1]
 
Policy should not be written to make voting more difficult. Rules should not be created because politicians didn’t like the outcome of an election.
 
Every eligible American should have access to the ballot, and our democracy works best when our citizens vote in high numbers, as Wisconsinites tend to do for Presidential elections. But these bills will create steep barriers to voting.
 
 
Here is a list of the most odious, onerous and obnoxious measures and what they will do to damage democracy:
 
SB203 / AB192: This bill would prohibit any individual from helping more than one non-family member return their absentee ballot.
SB209 / AB177: This bill says that absentee ballot drop boxes must be attached to the building where the office of the clerk is located.
  • Why these are bad: Taken together, these bills make it harder for voters to return their completed ballots to have their votes counted. Voters should have access to needed assistance from trusted friends, neighbors, care providers or community groups. Many voters with disabilities who vote absentee are non-drivers and ask someone they trust to deliver their absentee ballot. If their usual driver has already delivered a ballot for someone, the voter would have to find another way to get it returned. Reducing the number of drop boxes in high populated areas (particularly Milwaukee, Madison and other larger cities) that span miles and service thousands of voters to only one box, disadvantages the voters who do not live near the one box.
 
SB204 / AB201: This bill would no longer allow voters who are indefinitely confined or overseas to receive absentee ballots automatically. Instead, they would need to fill out an absentee ballot request every election and they would need to show an ID. In addition, this bill would prohibit the Wisconsin Elections Commission (as well as municipal or county clerk or local elections board) from sending absentee ballot applications en masse, as it did in 2020 to 2.7 million Wisconsin voters.
  • Why this is bad: Forcing indefinitely confined voters to fill out an absentee ballot request “every election” is extremely burdensome. Wisconsin has multiple elections every year. The mass mailing of absentee ballot applications gives the voters the choice about how and when they vote. Election administrators should have the authority and flexibility to make voting easier by being able to mail absentee ballot applications.
 
SB205 / AB179: This bill would require the administrator of a retirement home or residential care facility to notify relatives of the occupants as to when the special voting deputies will be coming to the facility to assist in the casting of absentee ballots.
  • Why this is bad: Most people in these homes and facilities make decisions for themselves every day of the week. They don’t need a relative next to them when they are voting and fulfilling their duty in our democracy. They shouldn’t have their right to the privacy of their vote violated. This bill goes so far as to make it illegal for employees of a retirement home or residential care facility to even encourage a resident to vote!
 
SB206 / AB180: This bill makes anyone who is indefinitely confined jump through several hoops in order to vote, including the voter making a statement under oath affirming the fact of being indefinitely confined. If the indefinitely confined voter is under 65, that sworn statement would need “to be signed by a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse who has primary responsibility for the treatment and care of the voter.” In addition, the bill specifies that the existence of an epidemic does not qualify a voter as being indefinitely confined, and kicks people off the indefinitely confined list who signed up March 12 thru November 3, 2020.
  • Why this is bad: For many elderly and disabled voters and those with preexisting conditions who have been home-bound for their own safety because of COVID, this bill is heartless. It would put voters at risk while voting for the duration of this pandemic and during any future pandemic. No other voter has to submit a sworn and signed statement under oath such as this requirement sets out to do. This is a crude, blanket invalidation of the status of tens of thousands of voters, and without evidence, it implies that they all misrepresented themselves. This presumption of guilt flies in the face of free, fair, and accessible elections.
 
SB207 / AB173: This bill prohibits anyone who is an employee of a political organization or issue advocacy group from being a poll worker.
  • Why this is bad: This would reduce the current poll worker pool in communities across the state. Any employee of any political party or any member of an advocacy organization like Common Cause WI, NAACP, Conservation Voters, The Heritage Foundation, The League of Women Voters, AARP, etc. would not be able to serve as poll workers.

(updated 5.4.21) SB212 / AB198:  This measure would require the clerk to mail the defective ballot envelope back to the voter, require the clerk to put a notice of the defect on the voter's voter information page in MyVote, and prohibit a municipal clerk from correcting a defect on the completed absentee ballot certificate envelope. Specifically, the bill would create new felonies in the list of election frauds to punish election officials.  
  • This bill addresses how clerks should act when a voter returns a completed absentee ballot with a defect in the ballot certificate. If a certificate envelope has a defect, the clerk must return the ballot to the elector and post a notification of the defect on the elector's voter information page on MyVote website. However, not all voters can access MyVote and they would be unaware of the problem to make corrections. Additionally, the bill does not make clear if the voter will know the notice has been put in their voter information page on MyVote unless they happen to check the page. Existing law does not require notice of defects; however, the Wisconsin Election Commission guidance encourages clerks to contact the voter directly. 
  • Mailing a ballot back to the voter within only a few days until Election Day will guarantee the ballot envelope is not returned corrected in time for the vote to be counted. The mail can be slow. There may not be time to return the ballot to the voter and for the voter to send it back, so the vote may not be counted.  
  • Currently the clerk may look up the address or contact the voter for information. Existing law allows the clerk to mail the ballot back if there is time for the voter to correct the defect. This is a bad bill in that it will result in many ballots being tossed for information missing on the envelope. AND the bill does not allow for correction of the envelope except by the voter when the ballot and envelope is returned by mail. It does not seem to allow the clerk alternate ways for corrections, like a phone call and a visit to the clerk's office by the voter. While a correction or cure process for absentee ballot envelopes is something that the legislature should consider and undertake, it should not be in the form of this bill. It should give clear instructions so that clerks and voters are able to correct mistakes to ensure all ballots cast are counted.

There can be ways to make election administration better and to increase access to voting, like enacting automatic voter registration that citizens can opt-into when conducting business at the DMV. But these hyper-partisan bills do not do this. They look to make the process of voting more challenging for citizens and municipal clerks who run our elections.
 
Instead, voting should be clear, secure, and fair for all eligible voters. And our legislators should be passing bipartisan bills that further increase our voting numbers, not suppress the vote.
 
 
Wisconsinites need to rise up and make it clear to every member of the Wisconsin Legislature that they should be expanding voting opportunities and making it easier for more Wisconsinites to be able to participate in elections.
 
I hope you’ll join me in speaking out today. And thank you for caring about fighting for real democracy and against voter suppression in Wisconsin!
 
Stay well, keep safe and Forward!
Jay Heck - CC/WI Director (since 1996!)
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Jay Heck
608/256-2686 (office)
608/512-9363 (cell)

Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 Johnson St, Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
www.commoncausewisconsin.org

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Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Your vote matters in local elections. Prepare today for the April 6th General Election.

Tuesday – March 16, 2021



Visit MyVote.wi.gov for official voting information

The 2021 General Election is April 6th. And there are things you can take care of now so you are prepared for Election Day or to cast your absentee ballot in advance. Be ready for April 6th by reviewing and sharing the information below.
 
Remember every election matters, and local races have a direct impact on your daily life. These races will include the State Superintendent Of Public Instruction and may also include City Council, Village President, Judges, School Board, Mayor, and Alders. (Find out what is on your ballot at MyVote).The more local the election, the more likely the people elected may live in your neighborhood. Your vote matters in our state and local elections.
 
Register to Vote: You must be registered to vote to cast your ballot in the April 6 Spring Election. Register online at MyVote.wi.gov by March 17. After Wednesday, you can register with your municipal clerk or know that in Wisconsin, you can register at the polls on Election Day. 
 
Secure your photo ID: Visit BringIt.wi.gov for more information about the types of ID that can be used to vote. Here, you can also learn about how to get a free ID to use for voting.

Choose the Way You Want to Cast Your Ballot: Make a plan to vote one of three ways that are available to all Wisconsin voters:
  1. At your polling location on April 6th,
  2. With an absentee ballot by mail,
  3. Or in person by absentee ballot via your clerk’s office (aka early vote).
 
Go to MyVote.wi.gov and make a request for your absentee ballot to be sent to you by mail in just seconds. In Wisconsin, any registered voter can vote absentee - no excuses needed. Request your ballot for the April election today. The sooner you make your request, the more likely you are to receive and send back your ballot in time for it to be counted.
 
You can also go to MyVote.wi.gov to get information about in person voting by absentee ballot from your clerk prior to Election Day (aka early vote). And you can find your polling location if you choose to vote in person on Election Day.
 
On Your Ballot: Get to know who wants to represent you and which candidates best represent your values before you vote. Find candidate and ballot information from the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin at Vote411. Many local papers across the state will also publish candidate interviews prior to the election.
 
Wisconsin's youngest voters need to stay engaged and should plan to vote in 2021. Are you a college student voting in Wisconsin? Or do you know a student who wants to vote in Wisconsin? Here is important information from the Common Cause Wisconsin website to share: Three Things College Students Need to Do To Vote in Wisconsin

Voting by absentee ballot, having the correct ID, finding your polling place, knowing the deadlines...None of these things have to be scary, but they can be overwhelming. Help is just a call, text, or email away.

Call or text the WI Voter Helpline at 608-285-2141 and you will be connected to a nonpartisan person who can help answer all your questions. You can also request services such as getting assistance at the DMV to get an ID to vote or having someone witness your absentee ballot.

Voters with disabilities have the right to an accessible polling place. This includes the right to use an accessible voting machine, to assistance marking a ballot, and to voting curbside. Call the Disability Rights Wisconsin Voter Hotline for assistance: 1-844-347-8683. Or email: info@disabilityvote.org. Additional online resources are also at the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition website

If you experience problems at the polls or have questions, there is help. Call Election Protection at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) for support from nonpartisan election protection volunteers with questions or to report problems.
 
Our local democracies are as important as our federal democracy. Plan to vote in this Spring's Election. Your vote powers our future.
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Jay Heck
608/256-2686 (office)
608/512-9363 (cell)

Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 Johnson St, Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
www.commoncausewisconsin.org

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