MADISON, Wis. — Republican lawmakers in Madison want to fast-track several changes to how elections are run ahead of November. However, the clock is ticking to make that happen in time.
11 pieces of legislation were up for discussion during a public hearing held at the Capitol. The proposals range from changing who can claim indefinitely confined status to who can return a ballot for someone else. Another proposal would give the legislature the power to approve the spending of any federal election money Wisconsin may receive.
With the Senate elections committee holding a hearing Monday, the stage is now set for the bills to clear the needed hurdles in time before lawmakers wrap up the session in a matter of weeks.
“There's been a drumbeat of baseless accusations and character assignations against the dedicated administrators and the tireless staff at the Wisconsin Elections Commission, as well as all of our clerks, 1,800 and more around the state,” Matt Rothschild of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign told lawmakers. “This has got to stop.”
Last week, Republicans unveiled a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban the use of private grant money to help run elections.
In 2020, the Center of Tech and Civic Life, funded by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, divvied up about $8.8 million amongst Wisconsin's five biggest cities.
“Why is that fair that someone can just parachute into Milwaukee with millions of dollars for election education and the next community gets nothing,” State Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, asked. “How is that equitable? How can you justify that for Milwaukee?”
Democrats argue those funds were used for nonpartisan things like hazard pay and supplies to carry out the elections safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some cities like Milwaukee felt in a pinch to apply for those grants because shared revenue funds from the state haven't kept up with inflation.
“If we were to receive the amount, just by inflation-adjusted terms, we would be receiving a hundred million dollars more than we do today,” City of Milwaukee Senior Legislative Coordinator Brenda Wood said. “In that time, our police budget alone has gone up $100 million.”
Though more than 200 towns and cities across Wisconsin did receive some money as part of the grants that went out nationally, Republicans said the bulk of that money went to Democratic cities that voted for President Joe Biden.
“There's a reason they invested in the five largest municipalities in the state of Wisconsin that lean Democrat,” State Sen. Kathy Bernier, R-Chippewa Falls, said. “That is a fact.”
With lawmakers expected to be on the floor next week, the proposals are on a fast track to passage. It seems likely the committee will meet again this week to approve the package of legislation, so it is ready for a full floor vote.
As far as the constitutional amendment, Democrats don't have enough votes to stop it, and unlike the other proposed bills, Gov. Tony Evers can't veto it. However, it would need to be approved in two consecutive legislative sessions before being put on the ballot for voter approval.
If the proposed amendment passes for the first time in the coming weeks, lawmakers could pass it again when they come back in January, which means it could be on the ballot for voters in 2023. Assuming voters approve it, the ban on private grant money could be in effect before the 2024 presidential election.
Here are more details on the legislation put forth by Senate Republicans:
- Relating to: overseeing the administration of elections.
- Relating to: maintenance of the voter registration list, training of municipal clerks, data sharing agreements, pre-election procedures, lines at the polls on election day, and granting rule-making authority.
- Relating to: certain kinds of election fraud, private resources, and contracts for election administration, who may perform tasks related to election administration, defects on absentee ballot certificates, returning absentee ballots to the office of the municipal clerk, the appointment of election officials, allowing an employee of a residential care facility or qualified retirement home to serve as a personal care voting assistant during a public health emergency or an incident of infectious disease, and providing a penalty.
- Relating to: the resolution of complaints filed with the Elections Commission, submitting to the legislature copies of complaints filed with the Elections Commission, reports concerning possible violations of election laws, post-election audits of electronic voting systems, printing absentee ballot applications for recounts, and granting rule-making authority.
- Relating to: status as an indefinitely confined voter for purposes of receiving absentee ballots automatically and providing a penalty.
- Relating to: verifying the citizenship of individuals on the official voter registration list and contents of operator's licenses and identification cards.
- Relating to: absentee ballot applications, unsolicited mailing or transmission of absentee ballot applications and absentee ballots, secure delivery of absentee ballots, canvassing absentee ballots, voter registration requirements, electronic voter registration, and providing a penalty.
- Relating to: comparison of voter information on the state's official voter registration list with information maintained by the Department of Transportation.
- Relating to: state agency compliance with election laws.
- Relating to: requiring the Elections Commission to send guidance documents to the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules.
- Relating to: prohibiting the use of a donation or grant of private resources for purposes of election administration and specifying who may perform tasks related to election administration (first consideration).