KENTUCKY

Secretary of State
Frankfort
Kentucky

STATE OF EMERGENCY RELATING TO KENTUCKY ELECTIONS

WHEREAS, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease causing illness that can range from very mild to severe, including illness resulting in death; and

WHEREAS, on March 6, 2020, a case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, since that time, 20 more cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the Commonwealth, with cases appearing multiple counties, including cases that indicate the virus is community spread; and

WHEREAS, this condition continues to endanger public health and safety and, if not contained, threatens to overwhelm the Commonwealth's resources; and

WHEREAS, state and local governments share responsibility for protection of public health, safety, and security and for taking appropriate actions to ensure the provision of essential public services; and

WHEREAS, I, Andy Beshear, Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and by KRS Chapter Chapter 39A, did declare by Executive Order 2020-215 on March 6, 2020, that a State of Emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Kentucky; and

WHEREAS, under such circumstances, l am further empowered by KRS Chapter 39A to order persons and groups to disperse from the scene of the emergency and to exercise all other powers deemed necessary to promote and secure the safety and protection of the civilian population; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to KRS 39A.100(l)(I), on March 16, 2019, Secretary of State Michael G. Adams recommended that I declare by executive order a different time for holding the May 19, 2020 Kentucky elections and recommended that the different time be 35 days from the date of the delayed election:

NOW THEREFORE, I Andy Beshear, by virtue of authority vested in me pursuant to the Constitution of Kentucky and by KRS 39A.100(1)(1), do hereby Order and Direct as follows:

This order is effective March 16, 2020.

March 20, 2020

Gov. Holcomb and Secretary of State Lawson Announce Primary Election to Move to June 2

INDIANAPOLIS — Governor Eric Holcomb joined Secretary of State Connie Lawson, Republican Party Chair Kyle Hupfer and Democratic Party Chair John Zody today to announce an agreement to move the date of this year’s Indiana primary election from May 5 to June 2.

All dates corresponding with the primary election will be moved by 28 days to reflect the new date of the primary. For example, military and overseas ballots are required to mailed 45 days prior to the primary election, so they’ll move 45 days prior to June 2.

“The right of citizens to elect their leaders in a free and open election is one of the cornerstones of America. In order to balance that right with the safety of county employees, poll workers and voters, delaying Indiana’s primary election is the right move as we continue to do all we can to protect Hoosiers’ health,” said Gov. Holcomb.

Gov. Holcomb signed an executive order to suspend Indiana’s election statute and move the dates. The executive order is posted here: https://www.in.gov/gov/2384.htm [PDF]

In addition, Governor Holcomb, Secretary Lawson, Chairman Hupfer and Chairman Zody made the following recommendations to the Indiana Election Commission.

• Suspend absentee by-mail rules to allow all Hoosiers the option to vote by mail in the upcoming primary election.
• Allow county clerks to continually mail ballots from now through 12 days out from the new primary election date.
• Confirm ballots with a May 5, 2020 date will be valid.
• Enable medical professionals to be eligible members of traveling boards to vote nursing home and hospital patients.
• Give family members the ability to deliver absentee ballots. Currently only a member of a voter’s household may take possession of their ballot.

“As Indiana’s Chief Election Officer, it is my top priority to protect our elections, but, above all else, it is my duty to protect the health and safety of Hoosiers,” said Secretary Lawson. “I believe the bi-partisan recommendations we have asked the Indiana Election Commission to take will allow us to provide all Hoosiers the opportunity to vote.

Indiana Election Commission Chairman Paul Okeson has called a meeting of the Indiana Election Commission on Wednesday, March 25 at 10 a.m. to discuss the recommendations. The meeting will be held in the south atrium of the Indiana Statehouse.

Media Contact – Valerie Warycha
Indiana Election Commission
March 25, 2020

Indiana Election Commission adopts new procedures for June 2 Primary Election

INDIANAPOLIS (March 25, 2020) — In response to recommendations from Governor Eric Holcomb, Secretary of State Connie Lawson, and the leadership of Indiana’s major political parties, the Indiana Election Commission has issued an order making it easier for Hoosiers to vote in the June 2nd Primary Election. Governor Holcomb previously moved the primary from May 5th to June 2nd.

The complete order detailing each change is available at https://www.in.gov/sos/elections/2404.htm.

The Commission’s order included the following changes, which will apply to the June 2nd Primary only:

• Moves all election dates by 28 days.
• Avoids reprinting ballots and other forms that have the May 5th, 2020 date.
• Allows everyone to cast an absentee ballot by mail without having a specific reason to do so.
• Grandfathers applications already received for an absentee ballot, which did not state an excuse permitting the person to vote by mail.
• Permits county election boards to conduct meetings electronically rather than in person.
• Encourages counties to appoint medical professionals to act as traveling absentee boards to help voters confined in medical facilities to cast a ballot.
• Permits family members and caregivers of a confined voter to personally deliver and return a ballot.
• Allows county election boards to consolidate voting locations and vote center sites and to take spacing measures to ensure the safety of voters.
• Loosens restrictions on students who wish to serve as poll workers or absentee board members.
• Allows county election boards to begin expeditiously counting ballots at 6 a.m. on Election Day.
• Advises county election boards that election results must be determined by 3 p.m. on June 12th.
  

“As we take precautions to protect Hoosiers from the threat of COVID-19, it is vitally important to protect citizens’ right to vote,” said Secretary Lawson. “I am pleased that our bi-partisan recommendations have been adopted, and I thank the Indiana Election Commission for their expeditious work. With these changes, I am confident our primary will move forward with minimal disruption.”

The Commission will meet again on April 22nd, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. ET.

Eligible Hoosiers can register to vote online, check their registration status, and request an absentee ballot by visiting www.IndianaVoters.com.

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RHODE ISLAND
Office of Governor Gina Raimondo
March 23, 2020
Executive Order 20-11 NINTH SUPPLEMENTAL EMERGENCY DECLARATION - DELA YING THE PRIMARY ELECTIONS AND PREPARING FOR A PREDOMINANTLY MAIL BALLOT ELECTION

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DELAWARE
Office of Governor John Carney
March 24, 2020

Governor Carney Moves Presidential Primary Date to June 2

 
WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Tuesday issued a sixth modification to his State of Emergency declaration, moving Delaware’s presidential primary to June 2, and suspending residential foreclosures and evictions during the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The order goes into effect at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 25. It will remain in effect until May 15 or until the public health threat is eliminated.

“Delawareans have a basic, fundamental right to vote. Today’s order will preserve that right and allow Delawareans to vote by absentee ballot in the presidential primary on June 2,” said Governor Carney. “The additional protections in this order are essential to help support Delawareans – especially our most vulnerable neighbors – as this situation evolves. This is an extremely challenging economic situation for many of our neighbors, and we need to do what we can to support them.”

Governor Carney’s order prevents landlords from evicting Delawareans from their homes during this crisis. Landlords also may not charge late fees or interest during the State of Emergency.
 
The order also prevents lenders from commencing foreclosures during this period. Residential mortgage foreclosures that began prior to Governor Carney’s State of Emergency declaration will not move forward until the 31st day following the termination of the Governor’s emergency declaration, at the earliest.
 
Governor Carney’s order also prevents residential utility service companies from terminating service or charging fees for late-payments for services.
 
Additionally, all elections for school board members in any Delaware school district scheduled for May 12 are delayed until June 16 under Governor Carney’s updated order on Tuesday. The order also states that social distancing due to COVID-19 is a valid reason to vote by absentee ballot.
Additional details about local elections, school district referendums, evictions, foreclosures, and utilities are available in the text of the order.[PDF]
 
Delawareans with general questions about COVID-19 or their exposure risk can call the Division of Public Health’s Coronavirus Call Center at 1-866-408-1899, or 711 for individuals who are hearing-impaired, from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Questions can also be submitted by email at DPHCall@delaware.gov.
 
DPH will continue to update the public as more information becomes available. For the latest on Delaware’s response, go to de.gov/coronavirus.
 

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ALASKA
Alaska Democratic Party
March 23, 2020

Alaska Democratic Party Announces Changes to Presidential Primary Amid Coronavirus Spread

In-person Voting is Canceled; Ability to Vote by Mail Expanded

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – In an attempt to help curb potential community spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Alaska Democratic Party today announced changes to the organization and execution of their party-run presidential primary. 

·     All in-person voting across the state originally scheduled for April 4 has been canceled in favor of a more extensive vote-by-mail process approved unanimously by the Alaska Democratic Party Executive Committee. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has been notified of the changes.

·     The vote by mail deadline has been extended from the original date of March 24. Ballots must now be received in Anchorage no later than April 10 to be counted. 

·     Detailed instructions, a downloadable ranked-choice ballot, and voter registration forms will be available on the Alaska Democratic Party website by 5pm on Monday, March 23. [link]

A final tabulation of the primary results will be released as soon as possible once all ballots are received on April 10th, but no later than April 11, 2020 at 11:59 PM. Because of the nature of statewide, ranked-choice tabulation, running totals will not be available as ballots are counted. One final result will be released by the ADP upon completion of the full tabulation of all votes from across the state. Results will be posted on the website after tabulation.

“The Alaska Democratic Party has already mailed ballots to over 71,000 registered Democrats across the state, seven times the number of people that participated in the 2016 caucuses. We want to continue to allow for maximum participation in this historic primary while respecting the health and safety of our voters and volunteers,” said Lindsay Kavanaugh, Executive Director. “We appreciate the patience and solidarity of the community at this time, and are pleased to be extending the vote by mail program to ensure Alaskans’ voices are heard.”

“The use of downloadable ballots will give many Alaskans a final opportunity to register their presidential preference. It will accommodate those who unintentionally spoiled a ballot, did not make the deadline to request an absentee ballot, or who wish to register as a Democrat and cast their ballot past the original deadline date,” said Casey Steinau, ADP Chair. “Even in difficult times, we hold our responsibility seriously to allow as many Alaskans as possible the right to have a say in this election.”

The Alaska Democratic Party will continue to assess and evaluate potential changes in procedure for its House District Caucuses scheduled for April 18, and the State Democratic Convention scheduled for May 15-16 in Fairbanks. Please visit alaskademocrats.org for details on how to become a delegate to the State or National Convention.

Members of the press with questions may send inquiries to Jeanne Devon, Communications Director for the Alaska Democratic Party at info@alaskademocrats.org. 

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WISCONSIN
See: Main Wisconsin Primary Page
Although other states moved to postpone presidential primaries, Wisconsin officials stuck to their April 7 date.  The Spring Election had a lot of races on the ballot in addition to the presidential primary.  Officials made the calculation that the complications of postponing the election outweighed the risk to public health, but the reality of the situation in early and mid-March was different in late March.

None of the state's elected leaders came out of this episode looking particularly good.  Gov. Tony Evers (D) did not have the authority to postpone the primary and leaders in the Republican controlled legislature did not want to act.  Both encouraged a predominantly by mail election. 

There remained the question of those who would cast their ballots in-person.  Local officials and groups sought to postpone the primary, and several lawsuits were filed.  The Wisconsin Election Commission and local election officials faced a seemingly impossible task.  In addition to following guidelines to keep polling places sanitized and maintain social distancing, they faced a serious shortage of poll workers.  On top of that, on March 24 Gov. Evers had issued a shelter in place order. 

On March 27 Evers proposed mailing absentee ballots to all registered voters, which Republican leaders quickly rejected.  The Republican leaders in the legislature pointed out that any voter could request an absentee ballot and that record absentee voting was occurring.  Voter ID requirements were an important subtext as well.  Republicans sought to uphold the state's strict voter ID requirements, while Democrats argued those measures should be loosened in view of the crisis. 

On April 2, U.S. District Judge William Conley, ruling in three consolidated cases, declined to take the "extraordinary step of delaying a state-wide election at the last minute," but did provide relief by extending the deadline for receipt of absentee ballots.  Conley ruled that ballots received by April 13 irrespective of postmark date should be counted, effectively extending absentee voting.  Conley had sharp words for state officials; he wrote,


Republicans immediately appealed, arguing that "absentee ballots must be postmarked (or personally delivered to the polls) no later than April 7 in order to be counted."  The court of appeals rejected their claim so they made an emergency application to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Meanwhile Evers made several last-minute attempts to postpone in-person voting.  On April 3, he issued an executive order calling for a special session of the legislature on April 4.  Republican leaders rejected the call, noting that, “If the governor had legitimate concerns, we could have come to a bipartisan solution weeks ago."

On April 6, he issued an executive order suspending in-person voting for the April 7  election, moving in-person voting to June 9, and directing a special session of the legislature to meet on April 7 to address the date for in-person voting.  Republican leaders in the legislature immediately took the matter to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which blocked Evers' attempt to stop in-person voting on April 7 and move the date.  Also on the evening of April 6 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Judge Conyers had acted erroneously in extending the absentee period.

Thus the primary went ahead when officials in so many other states had concluded it was not safe to conduct an election.  Encouraged by officials, a record number of people voted by absentee ballot.  However, there were many instances reported of people who had requested an absentee ballot but did not receive one.  In person voting proceeded; polling places were consolidated, the National Guard deployed to help, and 400,000-plus voters, at risk to themselves and others, turned out to exercise their right to vote.

See:
Patrick Marley.  "Thosands of absentee ballots in Wisconsin weren't counted because of mailing problems and tech glitches."  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 18, 2020.

Associated Press.  "With results due in Wisconsin election, voters file lawsuit."  WSAW-TV, April 13, 2020.

John Kruzel.  "Supreme Court blocks Wisconsin from extending absentee voting."  The Hill, April 6, 2020.

Natasha Korecki.  "Wisconsin Democrats apoplectic over governor's handling of Tuesday's primary."  Politico, April 2, 2020.

Patrick Marley.  "Judge signals he will expand voting but not delay Wisconsin's election amid coronavirus outbreak."  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,  April 1, 2020.

Todd Richmond.  "Judge dismisses Green Bay lawsuit to stop in-person voting."  AP, March 27, 2020. [Green Bay]

Nick Corasaniti and Stephanie Saul.  "'Your Health or the Right to Vote': A Battle in Wisconsin as Its Primary Nears."  The New York Times, March 27, 2020.

Patrick Marley.  "Two more lawsuits filed over Wisconsin's spring election seeking to change how and when people vote during coronavirus."  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, March 26, 2020.

Laurel White.  "Green Bay Files Federal Lawsuit To Delay Wisconsin's April 7 Election."  Wisconsin Public Radio, March 25, 2020.

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documents, press releases, statements in reverse chronological, most recent first...

Democratic National Committee
April 7, 2020

DNC on Wisconsin Primary Election

DNC Chair Tom Perez released the following statement on today’s Wisconsin primary election:

“This was a dark day for our democracy. In the middle of one of the worst public health emergencies in modern history, the Republican Party forced the people of Wisconsin to choose between their safety and their vote. The craven self-interest of the GOP knows no bounds. They suppressed people’s voices and put lives in danger – all in service of their own partisan ambition. Democrats are showing true leadership during this crisis by advocating for the health and safety of the American people and the integrity of our democracy. And come Election Day in November, voters will remember which party had their back.”

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Wisconsin National Guard
April 7, 2020
CONTACT: Capt. Joe Trovato

Wisconsin National Guard: In a first for Wisconsin National Guard, Citizen Soldiers and Airmen serve as poll workers across Wisconsin on election day

MADISON, Wis. — More than 2,400 Citizen Soldiers and Airmen from the Wisconsin National Guard mobilized to state active duty to serve as poll workers at polling stations across the state during Wisconsin’s April 7 election.

The Guard members, dressed in civilian attire, served at polls in 71 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties – all except Florence County – in support of the Wisconsin Elections Commission and clerks due to a critical shortage of poll workers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In accordance with state elections laws, most of the National Guard members served as poll workers in the counties in which they reside. They fulfilled the same roles and duties that a traditional civilian poll worker fulfills, and in many cases served alongside fellow civilian poll workers in communities across the state.

One of those Citizen Soldiers was Capt. Alicia Dorsett, a member of the Headquarters Battery of the 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery, based in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. She and her mother, Sheila Dorsett, staffed the polls together in Dorsett’s hometown and residence of Poy Sippi, Wisconsin.

“This mission has provided a unique opportunity to serve our communities like we’ve never done before,” Dorsett said. “For me, serving my community became quite literal when I was assigned to report to the polling place in my hometown of Poy Sippi, Wisconsin.

“Not only am I serving in my own community, but I’m serving alongside the people who watched me grow up, to include my own mom,” she added. “Those voting today get to see a familiar face and feel safe with the hygienic practices implemented by people they know and trust.”

The Wisconsin National Guard has two core missions – serving in its federal role as the primary combat reserve of the Army and Air Force as well as serving the state during times of emergency, and while serving as poll workers is a unique and unprecedented mission for the Wisconsin National Guard, serving the state in a time of need is a familiar concept for the state’s Citizen Soldiers and Airmen.

“It was a good experience,” said Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Ard, a Green Bay, Wisconsin resident assigned as a public affairs noncommissioned officer in the Milwaukee-based 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade serving as a poll worker at the Allouez Village Hall. “There were many volunteers, some wearing masks, but the training was well planned by the village. They have a good plan and the Guard is here to provide support in any way we can.”

Others like Sgt. Monica Miggins, a fueler from Madison assigned to the Beloit, Wisconsin-based 1158th Transportation Company hoped the Guard’s efforts helped alleviate the burden on other poll workers.

“We’re making a positive impact because there a lot of people who volunteer who are elderly,” she said while working at a Fitchburg, Wisconsin polling station. “So this helps out with letting them avoid contact with people by letting younger Soldiers take their duties.”

Guard personnel fulfilled a variety of duties as poll workers throughout the day.

“I did a little of everything,” said Maj. Maria Garcia, a member of the 132nd Brigade Support Battalion and a Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, resident supporting the City of Wauwatosa and Milwaukee County. “I assisted with the ballots and polling book, feeding ballots into the machine, cleaning the polling location and directing traffic.”

Garcia said she received training from the Milwaukee County Elections Commission and COVID-19 safety guidance prior to polls opening.

“Working with Wauwatosa was a very positive experience,” she added. “The Guard members ensured Wauwatosa could provide full election staffing for all its districts.”

Spc. Michael Clark, a truck driver from Mosinee, Wisconsin’s F Company, 132nd Brigade Support Battalion, said he was honored to serve his community at a polling station in Marshfield, Wisconsin.

“I think that as a Guardsman it is important to help out the community and nation in any way possible whether it is a very little things or a national emergency,” he said. “It is a great way to gain experience and meet interesting, new people and gain great new experiences.”

Staff Sgt. Alan Hughes, assigned to Madison’s 115th Fighter Wing, but also serving in Marshfield in support of Wood County was grateful for the opportunity to serve his neighbors.

“As a traditional status Guardsman drilling with an Air National Guard unit nearly two hours away from my home, it feels good to be able to support my own friends and neighbors and demonstrate to my local community that there are local Guardsman always willing and able to step up when the need arises, no matter what the situation may be,” Hughes said.

The Citizen Soldiers and Airmen working at the polls received glowing reviews from many clerks around the state.

“The nine Guardsmen that Langlade County received were so kind and eager to be of assistance to the municipal clerks,” said Judy Nagel, Langlade County clerk. “I really appreciate your help with this. It was valued that they were trained and informed of what they were doing for the community. Using local Guardsmen was a plus.”

Barron County Clerk DeeAnn Cook shared a similar opinion.

“Use of the soldiers has been the smoothest part of this election,” she said. “I am more than impressed with how this entire process of using the Guard came off. What a nice, polite, respectful group of people they are. They all arrived on time and were patient while their assignments were being decided, then reported for duty.”

Brig. Gen. Robyn Blader, Wisconsin’s assistant adjutant general for readiness and training was responsible for coordinating the Wisconsin National Guard’s response and served as a liaison with the Wisconsin Elections Commission in the days and weeks leading up to the election. She helped orchestrate the Wisconsin National Guard’s logistical support to WEC by procuring and distributing supplies needed to ensure polling stations were as safe as possible such as hand sanitizer, wipes, spray bottles, and personal protective equipment before more than 2,400 troops mobilized to support the poll worker mission.

“The Wisconsin National Guard stands ready 24/7 to serve our communities and our state,” she said. “The elections mission is an illustration of how we can bring our service members on state active duty, train them to be poll workers and send them out to polling stations within their community and execute the polling mission in a professional manner. Our unique military and civilian skills make us adaptable to execute any mission across every zip code in our state. The Wisconsin National Guard is part of your communities, as we are your family, your friends, your co-workers and your neighbors who live in your communities, and we could not be prouder to be serving the citizens of our state and being part of ensuring they can cast their vote in this election.”

The troops mobilized for the mission in short order – a testament to the Wisconsin National Guard’s readiness when called to serve. Within less than 48 hours of initially receiving the mission, more than 2,400 mobilized beginning April 5. By April 6, Guardsmen were reporting to local clerks, completing several hours of WEC-provided training and helping setup polling sites. Tuesday morning, they stood ready to assist, despite the uncertainty surrounding the election amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That would not have been possible without you,” said Meagan Wolfe, the Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator. “Thank you to all the service men and women who helped make democracy in Wisconsin possible today.”

Tracy Oldenburg, Fitchburg’s city clerk shared a similar message.

“The National Guard has been wonderful,” Oldenburg said. “We would not be able to run our polling locations without them. A lot of our normal polling volunteers are over the age of 70 and due to the Coronavirus they are unable to serve. So it’s been awesome for the National Guard to step up and fill those positions.”

The Wisconsin National Guard’s mission to serve as poll workers in an election may mark the first time in the nation’s history that the National Guard mobilized to staff polling sites during an emergency. The mission to serve as poll workers continues through April 8 when troops will assist with polling station cleanup and processing ballots, if needed, before being released from state active duty. Meanwhile, the Wisconsin National Guard simultaneously continues to support other missions across Wisconsin.

Wisconsin National Guard troops are currently helping staff two state-run voluntary self-isolation facilities in Milwaukee and Madison and another Milwaukee-run facility with medics providing medical monitoring as well as administrative support. Approximately 12 personnel are staffing each state-run facility, while nearly 30 are assisting at the Milwaukee-run facility.

Citizen Soldiers and Airmen are also conducting warehousing operations in support of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services where they are receiving personal protective equipment (PPE) shipments at warehouses, repackaging it, and then distributing it to sites that need PPE.

A team of six Wisconsin National Guard medics also augmented the staff at a senior living facility in Grafton, Wisconsin, for three days in March while the facility dealt with a staffing shortfall after a COVID-19 outbreak there.

Also last month, a team of 30 Wisconsin National Guard personnel assisted DHS transport a group of Wisconsin citizens back to their homes after they returned to our state from a cruise ship that had confirmed cases of COVID-19 onboard.

Last weekend, a team of approximately 30 Wisconsin National Guard troops responded to a senior living facility in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, where they established a mobile COVID-19 testing site and collected specimens from staff and residents there.

The Wisconsin National Guard continues to stand ready for additional missions, as requested by state or civil authorities.

Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Ard, Spc. Emma Anderson, Spc. Anya Hanson, and 1st Lt. Daniel Yarnall contributed to this report.

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Voces de la Frontera
April 7, 2020

Voces de la Frontera challenges anti-democratic Wisconsin election; The fight for fair elections will continue

Voces de la Frontera continues its fight on Tuesday against Wisconsin’s dangerous election by protesting in Madison to ask the state’s top health officer to intervene and stop the ongoing election.

A caravan of several dozen cars circled the headquarters of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, calling on Secretary Andrea Palm to declare a health emergency and stop the election, even as voters were already risking their health at the few polling places still open in the state. See images below.

The Milwaukee-based non-profit organization, Voces de la Frontera, is the largest immigrant-rights group in Wisconsin and was part of a federal lawsuit challenging the election.

“It’s a travesty that the election is allowed to go on,” said Tony Castañeda of Madison, one of the protestors. “Putting people at risk, especially the poll workers. It’s an outright power grab by the Republican party.”

Castañeda was referring to Wisconsin’s Republican leaders who fought against postponing the election, eventually winning in decisions late Monday from both the Wisconsin and United States Supreme Courts.

Voces Executive Director Christine Neumann-Ortiz said the fight to preserve the full access of citizens to the voting process will continue. “We’re doing this to build a movement to fight a political and legal system that is failing its citizens.”

“What is happening today threatens lives and basic democracy. If it happened here it can happen in future elections in Wisconsin and other states. Our elections matter: the massive need for a robust economic aid package and medical system available to all has never been as apparent as it is at this moment.”

“But it will truly be a movement from below, rooted in social networks to help each other overcome all barriers to voting to ensure that lives and democracy are not stolen as is happening in Wisconsin today.”

“Democracy needs help right now,” said Alejandro Riano of Madison, another protestor. Riano requested an absentee ballot more than two weeks but hasn’t received it. He said he’ll take the health risks and vote in-person.

State election officials said Sunday that about 550,000 people who had requested absentee ballots still hadn’t returned them.

The April 2016 election drew more than 2 million voters. To equal that this year there would have to be over 1.2 million in-person votes cast, extremely unlikely because of the health risks and the closure of so many polling sites.

For more information, contact Communications Director Jack Norman: 414.405.6210 or communications@vdlf.org

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Common Cause in Wisconsin
April 7, 2020

Statement of Common Cause in Wisconsin Director Jay Heck on Election Day

Common Cause in Wisconsin realizes that many voters have a difficult choice to make between
voting in person and protecting their health. This choice was entirely avoidable, but our legislature refused to act to protect the safety of Wisconsinites.

For voters who choose to vote in person, we encourage everyone to follow the CDC guidelines on social distancing and to wear a mask to protect others. We also encourage voters who have an absentee ballot to mail them, ensuring they are postmarked with today’s date or deliver them to their designated polling place before 8 PM this evening. All absentee ballots must have the signature of a witness on the outside envelope in order to be counted. Voters who have questions about how to vote in today’s primaries can call the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE. Media outlets are encouraged to include the nonpartisan hotline number in their stories, on social media, and on their websites as a resource for voters.

Wisconsin is the only state in the nation that has failed to step up and respond responsibly and safely to the current national health pandemic emergency. We have seven months until the general election and there is time to fix these issues before November to ensure we are protecting public health and the right to vote.

Wisconsin’s absentee ballot rules are no doubt disenfranchising voters. Governor Evers and the legislature must work together to resolve these issues before the November election so voters can cast their ballot in a safe, accessible, and fair way. Common Cause in Wisconsin and our allies will work with election officials to ensure we avoid this kind of chaos for November’s election.

BACKGROUND:
A sharply divided Wisconsin Supreme Court on Monday blocked Wisconsin Governor Tony Ever’s executive order to postpone the April 7th Spring election until June 9, or such date that the Governor and Legislature could agree upon in a legislative special session, called for today. The vote was 4 to 2. Also yesterday, a sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 that absentee ballots must be postmarked by today, April 7th or have been delivered to polling places before 8 PM today to be counted. This effectively disenfranchises thousands of Wisconsin voters who have not yet received their absentee ballots even though they may have applied to receive them before last Friday’s deadline to apply for such a ballot.
 
The effect of these two rulings is that the Wisconsin spring election will proceed today on April 7th.

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Wisconsin Elections Commission
April 6, 2020

Top 10 Things Voters Should Know Before Heading to the Polls on April 7 - COVID-19

MADISON, WI – Hundreds of thousands of voters will likely be heading to the polls Tuesday in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Here’s what they should know:

“How and where you vote may have changed because of COVID-19,” said Meagan Wolfe, Wisconsin’s chief elections official.  “Local election officials are prepared for Election Day with sanitation supplies and have been trained on social distancing procedures and other guidance developed with a public health official. Now, we’re asking voters to be careful and patient if they go to the polls on Tuesday.”

Wolfe offered these important reminders to voters:

1.    Because of poll worker shortages, your polling place may have changed due to consolidation.  Before heading out to vote, please double-check your polling location at myvote.wi.gov. Click “Find My Polling Place.”

2.    Wash your hands before heading to your polling place on Election Day.  Hand hygiene is essential for a safe voting experience for everyone at the polls.

3.    Wash or sanitize your hands again when arriving at your polling place and before voting. A 70%  alcohol spray solution will be available at most polling places.

4.    Things will look different at your polling place.  Social distancing and public health related changes have been made to each polling place for this election.

5.    Please be patient when voting at the polls.  The public health procedures being used will slow down some parts of the process when you have to interact with poll workers.

6.    You may be asked to line up outside your polling place or voting area to ensure only a safe number of voters are in the voting area at one time.

7.    Social distancing is essential even at your polling place on Election Day.  There will be procedures in place to allow for six feet between voters and poll workers to ensure a safe voting experience for everyone.

8.    Please keep your face-to-face interactions brief with both poll workers and other voters.  We want to limit the risk for everyone in the process on Election Day.

9.    If you are ill and still need to vote on Election Day, curbside voting options are available.

10.    If you received an absentee ballot, you can return it at your polling place on Election Day if you have not yet returned it to your municipal clerk’s office. The deadline to return absentee ballots to the clerk’s office is 4 p.m. on Monday, April 13.

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Wisconsin Elections Commission
April 6, 2020 - 10:35pm
To
Wisconsin County Clerks
Wisconsin Municipal Clerks
City of Milwaukee Election Commission
Milwaukee County Election Commission
From
Meagan Wolfe, Administrator

URGENT -- Wisconsin Supreme Court Orders Election Day to Continue and U.S. Supreme Court Alters Ballot Receipt Deadline; Tallying and Reporting Results Still Prohibited Until April 13 - COVID-19

This memorandum summarizes three court decisions which were issued today related to Election Day.

First, the Wisconsin Supreme Court enjoined the Governor’s Executive Order which had postponed the election, meaning that in-person voting will occur at the polls.  County and municipal clerks and election inspectors should continue their election preparations. 

Second, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling changing the part of Judge Conley’s decision which stated that ballots would be counted if received by April 13 regardless of any postmark or if they were hand-delivered after April 7.  The Supreme Court ruled that ballots are to be counted only if they are hand-delivered by 8 p.m. or if they are mailed with a postmark on or before April 7 and are received by 4 p.m. on April 13.

Third, the Eastern District of Wisconsin federal court issued a ruling which denied a separate request to postpone the election.

The effect of these decisions is as follows:

1)    Voting is to occur at polling places on Election Day, April 7.  Absent any subsequent court order, voting at polling places shall continue as planned even if a municipality receives an order from a public health official to terminate all in-person voting.  If any such order is received, the municipal clerk must immediately contact the Elections Commission and the County Clerk to discuss next steps.  While municipal clerks have authority to consolidate polling places, and polling places may be moved on Election Day in the event of an emergency, Wisconsin Statutes require that municipalities conduct voting in at least one polling place.  Wis. Stats. §§ 5.15, 7.37.

2)    Ballots that are hand-delivered after 8 p.m. or that are postmarked after April 7 are not counted.  Ballots with a postmark on or before April 7 and received by 4 p.m. on April 13 are counted. 

3)    The U.S. Supreme Court decision also did not alter the provision in Judge Conley’s amended order which prohibits the reporting of results until April 13.  In order to ensure consistent compliance with that order, the number of ballots will be counted on Election Night but votes will not be counted until April 13. 

The U.S. Supreme Court decision did not alter the Election Night Procedures guidance posted at this link:  https://elections.wi.gov/index.php/node/6819.  If you have not done so already, please review that communication and provide it to election inspectors.  The Commission plans to post additional guidance regarding procedures for April 13 later in the week.

If you have questions regarding this communication, please contact the Help Desk at 608-261-2028 or elections@wi.gov.

U.S. Supreme Court Decision: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6826732-19A1016.html

The Wisconsin Supreme Court decision is attached to this page.

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 from after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling...
Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester)
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau)
April 6, 2020

Statement: Wisconsin Supreme Court Ruling on April 7 Election

Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) released the following statement.

“We agree with the state Supreme Court’s ruling that affirms the separation of powers spelled out in our Constitution. The state’s highest court has spoken: the governor can’t unilaterally move the date of the election.

“We are proud that Wisconsinites have come together to meet the challenges that this pandemic has created. The safety and health of our citizens have always been our highest concern; that’s why we advocated for everyone to vote absentee. Wisconsin has responded in droves. Over a million ballots have been requested for tomorrow’s election. We continue to believe that citizens should be able to exercise their right to vote at the polls on Election Day, should they choose to do so.

“We want to thank the hardworking clerks around the state who have been working around the clock to ensure a safe and fair election. We also appreciate the assistance of the National Guard members who have been activated to play an important support role.

“This election will proceed as planned.”

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Wisconsin Republican Party

Statement in response to U.S. Supreme Court decision

[Madison, WI] – In response to the decision handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Republican Party of Wisconsin issued the following statement from Chairman Andrew Hitt:

“Consistent with years of precedent, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that election laws should not be changed on the eve of an election. The confusion and time wasted as a result of these multiple lawsuits when we should have all been solely focused on preparing for a challenging election is truly sad and unfortunate. While some have argued that we should quickly change or circumvent our laws in a time of crisis, justifications in the moment can quickly lead us down a slippery slope that erodes our democracy.”

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Wisconsin Democratic Party
April 6, 2020 
https://www.facebook.com/WisDems/photos/fpp.95483488591/10157997264968592/?type=3&theater

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Bernie 2020
April 6, 2020

NEWS: Sanders Statement on Wisconsin Primary

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday issued the following statement ahead of the Wisconsin primary:

“It's outrageous that the Republican legislative leaders and the conservative majority on the Supreme Court in Wisconsin are willing to risk the health and safety of many thousands of Wisconsin voters tomorrow for their own political gain. Let's be clear: holding this election amid the coronavirus outbreak is dangerous, disregards the guidance of public health experts, and may very well prove deadly.  For that reason, our campaign will not be engaged in any traditional GOTV efforts.”
 

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ACLU of Wisconsin
April 6, 2020

Statement on postponement of in-person voting in the April 7th election

MILWAUKEE – Chris Ott, executive director of the ACLU of Wisconsin, issued  the following statement regarding today’s decision to delay in-person voting in the April 7th election:

“Delaying in-person voting is the only responsible course of action given the urgent need to protect public health and combat the spread of COVID-19. The ACLU and several allied groups on March 18 called for a variety of measures to safeguard voters’ health, as well as to safeguard their right to vote. Since many of these measures have not been put into place, and since the number of polling places has been curtailed so drastically, postponing in-person voting is the safest and best course of action.

However, as this is a very fluid situation that will likely be resolved in the courts, we encourage those voting absentee to make every effort to return their absentee ballots by tomorrow to guarantee their vote is counted. We also ask those planning to vote in-person to check media reports on Tuesday, to confirm whether or not the Governor’s order to postpone still stands.

This of course is not Wisconsin’s only election this year. The level of chaos and confusion around this election is unacceptable and underscores the need for election officials to immediately develop an emergency response plan that safeguards the voting rights – and health – of all voters in Wisconsin. Any such plan must preserve the opportunity to in-person vote for those who need it, as well as expand access to vote by mail. As this crisis continues, our election officials need to get this right – and we’ll be watching to make sure they do.”

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Senate President Roger Roth (R-Appleton)
April 6, 2020

Senate President Roger Roth’s Statement on Evers’ Unconstitutional Action

MADISON – State Senator Roger Roth (R-Appleton) issued the following statement regarding Governor Evers’ unlawful Executive Order.

“On March 16th, 20th, 23rd, and 30th Governor Evers reiterated the need for an election to be held on April 7th and that he was not able to change an election on his own. He also stated that he would never ‘wait until the night before the election to make an historic decision like that’ when asked about cancelling or moving election dates.

“Only following a scathing critique on the front page of Politico did Governor Evers decide that in-person voting should be suspended and absentee ballots postponed, clearly ignoring the legal barriers to filling critical local seats in doing so.

“Now the Governor has decided to unlawfully suspend an election and deny Wisconsin residents their right to vote and further acknowledged today that ‘there is no guarantee on how the virus reacts, so we might be back on this position on June 9th.’

“The Governor has declared going to Target, Home Depot, Kwik Trip or Menards is fine, but going to your polling place is life or death? It’s ok to go grab a bite to eat from your favorite bar or restaurant, or have takeout dropped off at your door, but the idea of voting, no matter what our talented clerks do to keep people safe is too dangerous to even consider?

“These are hard times, there is no questioning that, and a lot is being asked of everyone. From our healthcare workers, police and fire departments to staff at grocery stores, people are going above and beyond. However, these are the times when an election must not be moved.

“I, unlike the Governor, believe that voting is the cornerstone of our republic and I continue to value this singular institution which sets us apart from other nations. Our resiliency in the face of adversity is what has allowed the great American experiment to endure for so long.

“The Governor’s authoritarian move has left Wisconsin in chaos as our local clerks struggle to continue their election preparation and voters contiinue to wonder what information can be trusted coming out of the Evers administration.

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Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester)
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau)
April 6, 2020

Statement: Executive Order by Governor Evers

Madison, WI…Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) released the following statement. “We are immediately challenging this executive order in the Wisconsin State Supreme Court. “The clerks of this state should stand ready to proceed with the election. The governor’s executive order is clearly an unconstitutional overreach. “This is another last minute flip-flop from the governor on the April 7th election. The governor himself has repeatedly acknowledged he can’t move the election. Just last week a federal judge said he did not have the power to cancel the election and Governor Evers doesn’t either. Governor Evers can’t unilaterally run the state.”

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Office of Gov. Tony Evers
April 6, 2020

MADISON – Gov. Tony Evers, in the absence of legislative action, today signed Executive Order #74, suspending in-person voting for the April 7 spring election, moving in-person voting to June 9, 2020. The order also directs the Legislature to meet in special session on Tues., April 7, 2020 to address the election date. If the Legislature does not enact legislation to change the new election date, in-person voting will occur on June 9, 2020.

“Today, I signed an executive order suspending in-person voting for tomorrow’s election. Frankly, there’s no good answer to this problem—I wish it were easy. I have been asking everyone to do their part to help keep our families, our neighbors, and our communities safe, and I had hoped that the Legislature would do its part—just as the rest of us are—to help keep people healthy and safe,” said Gov. Evers. “But as municipalities are consolidating polling locations, and absent legislative or court action, I cannot in good conscience stand by and do nothing. The bottom line is that I have an obligation to keep people safe, and that’s why I signed this executive order today.”

All ballots already cast in the 2020 Spring election will remain valid and will be tallied in conjunction with the new in-person voting date.

Executive Order #74 is available here.

The governor previously signed Executive Order #73 calling the Legislature to meet in a special session to send a ballot to every registered voter, allow an all-mail election, and extend the time for those ballots to be received and counted. The Legislature did not take up these changes in special session. Gov. Evers also proposed legislation that had several provisions aimed at making voting easier and more accessible during the public health emergency. A brief summary of that legislation is available here for review. Additionally, Gov. Evers called for the Legislature to act on this issue in a video, available here.

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Letter from Wisconsin Mayors to Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm
April 5, 2020

Mayors in Wisconsin call on Secretary Andrea Palm to Delay Election

As leaders of communities throughout Wisconsin, we write to you to ask you to exercise the emergency powers delegated to you under section 252.02 of the Wisconsin Statutes. We implore you to implement all emergency measures necessary to control the spread of COVID-19, a communicable disease. Specifically, we need you to step up and stop the State of Wisconsin from putting hundreds of thousands of citizens at risk by requiring them to vote at the polls while this ugly pandemic spreads.

This request is urgent because, as you know, Wisconsin’s April primary election is scheduled for Tuesday April 7. We believe it would be irresponsible and contrary to public health to conduct in-person voting throughout the state at the very time this disease is spreading rapidly.
Over 1,300,000 people live in our communities and we need you to provide leadership.

We thank Governor Evers for the leadership he demonstrated when he declared a state of emergency via Emergency Order #12. We thank him for calling a special session to address this issue. In light of the Legislature’s inexcusable refusal to act, you and your department now are the sole parties in the position to prevent hundreds of thousands of voters and poll workers from potentially being exposed needlessly to this worldwide pandemic.

In his decision just days ago, Judge Conley recognized the important role you play when he said, “As much as the court would prefer the Legislature and Governor consider the public health ahead of any political considerations, that does not appear in the cards. NOR IS IT APPROPRIATE FOR A FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT TO ACT AS STATE’S CHIEF HEALTH OFFICIAL BY TAKING THAT STEP FOR THEM.” (p.36) (emphasis added)

We want to emphasize that the election has already begun. Hundreds of thousands of people have requested absentee ballots and many of those have already been returned. Those votes must be counted. The real issue now is how we conclude the election. We must still ensure that every eligible voter has the right to vote without jeopardizing their health.

We recognize that you and your department have the authority to take this action, but that you do not have the authority to determine the modifications necessary to conclude this election. That power lies in the Legislative branch and with the Governor.

For that reason, we call on the Legislature to heed Governor Evers’ request for a special session. Meet tomorrow before April 7, and work with him to craft a procedure that protects public health and protects the right to vote. We believe the most logical way to accomplish an election that maintains the safer-at-home order is to mail every registered voter a ballot.

EVERY other state that faced this issue during the pandemic has crafted a solution that respects democracy and protected the health of their citizens. We must do the same.

The lives of our constituents depend on it.

Signed,

Mayor Tom Barrett, Milwaukee
Mayor Eric Genrich, Green Bay
Mayor Lori Palmeri, Oshkosh
Mayor Tim Kabat, La Crosse
Mayor John Antaramian, Kenosha
Mayor Cory Mason, Racine
Mayor Tim Hanna, Appleton
Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, Madison
Mayor Karen Mischel, Viroqua

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Office of Gov. Tony Evers
April 4, 2020

Gov. Evers' Statement on Special Session

MADISON – On April 3, Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #73 calling the Legislature to meet in a special session to take up necessary changes to the upcoming spring election. The special session was scheduled for 4 p.m., today, Sat., April 4, 2020, and the Legislature failed to meet and pass legislation to protect the health and safety of Wisconsinites. In response, Gov. Evers issued the statement below.

“Republicans in the Legislature are playing politics with public safety and ignoring the urgency of this public health crisis. It’s wrong. No one should have to choose between their health and their right to vote. Being a good leader means listening to the experts, being willing to adjust our course based on the science, and making the tough decisions necessary to protect the people of our state.

“This, however, is an easy decision. It's time for every Republican legislator to do their jobs and take a vote on this commonsense proposal to extend the election date so everyone can vote safely from home. I urge every Wisconsinite to contact their legislators and demand a vote.

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The White House
April 3, 2020

Excerpt from President  Trump's Press April 3, 2020 Briefing

Q    Mr. President, two questions on continuity of government.  For —
THE PRESIDENT:  How come you always have two?  Why can’t you have one?
Q    Well, they’re related.
THE PRESIDENT:  Every time, “I have three questions.  I have two questions.”  Can you give me one instead?  Because we have a couple of other people.  Go ahead.
Q    Okay, I’ll go with my second one.  The governor of Wisconsin is now talking about delaying the primary, at least not having in-person voting.  So my question is — and I asked this a couple weeks ago; I want to see if you’ve made any progress on this.  Looking ahead to the fall, are you taking steps to ensure that the general election will happen even if this pandemic has reemerged or hasn’t gone away?  And —
THE PRESIDENT:  The general election will happen on November 3rd.
Q    And do you — are you —
THE PRESIDENT:  In Wisconsin, what happened is I, through social media — media put out a very strong endorsement of a Republican conservative judge who’s an excellent, brilliant judge.  He’s a justice.  And I hear what happened is his poll numbers went through the roof.  And because of that, I think they delayed the election.
Q    You don’t think the governor is concerned about people going to in-person voting?
THE PRESIDENT:  I don’t know.  Why didn’t he do it before?  He was doing right before the election.
Q    But do you think every —
THE PRESIDENT:  Excuse me.  Why didn’t he do this two weeks ago?  All of a sudden —
Q    But isn’t it — because of the pandemic.
THE PRESIDENT:  Excuse me.  All of a sudden, an election which is taking place very soon gets delayed.  Now, I just endorsed him today and it was a very strong endorsement.  His polls — he’s gone very high up.  And all of a sudden, the governor comes out — the Democrat governor, by the way — comes out and says, “Oh, we’re going to move this election.”  So, I don’t know.  I’m sure — I hope you’re right.  I hope you’re right.
Q    But — but do you think every state in this country should be prepared for mail-in voting in case we’re in a situation —
THE PRESIDENT:  No, because I think a lot of people cheat with mail-in voting.  I think people should vote with ID — voter ID.  I think voter ID is very important.  And the reason they don’t want voter ID is because they intend to cheat.
When you get something, when you buy something, you look at your cards and credit cards and different cards — you have your picture on many of them.  Not all of them, but on many of them.  You should have a picture on your — on your — for voting.  It should be called “Voter ID.”  They should have that.  And it shouldn’t be mail-in —
Q    But how are you going to —
THE PRESIDENT:  Excuse me.  It shouldn’t be mail-in voting.  It should be: You go to a booth and you proudly display yourself.  You don’t send it in the mail where people pick up — all sorts of bad things can happen by the time they signed that, if they sign that — if they signed that by the time it gets in and is tabulated.
No, it shouldn’t be mailed in.  You should vote at the booth.  And you should have voter ID, because when you have voter ID, that’s the real deal.

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Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester)
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau)
April 3, 2020

Statement from Speaker Vos & Senator Fitzgerald on Governor's Special Session Call

Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) released the following statement.

“In a crisis, people look for certainty. In elections during uncertain times, it’s important that no one questions the process. That’s why it’s so disappointing that Governor Evers has flip-flopped on the very question that we have been discussing over the past month.

“If the governor had legitimate concerns, we could have come to a bipartisan solution weeks ago. This discussion would have happened long before today. The only bipartisan discussion we’ve had was to ensure the election would continue safely and to maximize the opportunity to vote absentee.

“Unfortunately, it’s this type of feckless leadership Wisconsin has come to expect of the governor in the face of this crisis. Instead of remaining strong to ensure our representative democracy continues, he caves under political pressures from national liberal special interest groups.

“Hundreds of thousands of workers are going to their jobs every day, serving in essential roles in our society. There’s no question that an election is just as important as getting take-out food.

“Our Republic must continue to function, and the many local government positions on the ballot must be filled so that municipalities can swiftly respond to the crisis at hand. We continue to support what Governor Evers has supported for weeks: the election should continue as planned on Tuesday.”

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Office of Gov. Tony Evers
April 3, 2020

Gov. Evers Calls for Special Session on Spring Election

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today signed Executive Order #73 calling the Legislature to meet in Special Session on Sat., April 4, 2020 at 4 p.m. to take up changes to the upcoming spring election. Gov. Evers is urging the Legislature to take up legislation allowing an all-mail election, to send a ballot to every registered voter who has not already requested one by May 19, and to extend the time for those ballots to be received to May 26. 

“Your efforts to maintain social distancing, the sacrifices you have made when it has come to your jobs, your schooling, and your day-to-day activities are what we need to flatten the curve to protect the people of our state. It’s also what we need to do to support our healthcare workers who are making heroic efforts to test, treat, and prevent this virus. At the same time, we also have to be patient with ourselves and each other because we’re all doing this for the very first time,” Gov. Evers said in a video to Wisconsinites.

“As we’ve faced these challenges over the past few weeks, I have also asked the people of our state to do their part to help. Well here’s the bottom line folks: if, as elected officials, we’re going to expect the people of our state to make sacrifices to keep all of us safe, then, by golly, we better be willing do our part, too. So, today I announced that I am calling the Legislature into a special session to do its part—just as all of us are—to help keep our neighbors, our families, and our communities safe.”

The governor previously proposed legislation that had several provisions aimed at making voting easier and more accessible during the public health emergency. A brief summary of that legislation is available here for review. Additionally, Gov. Evers called for the Legislature to act on this issue in a video, available here.  

Executive Order #73 is available here.

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Democratic National Committee
April 2, 2020

Democratic National Committee on Court Decision Ahead of Wisconsin Primary

Today Democrats secured major legal victories in the Western district of Wisconsin that will expand access to voting: 

• Extending the deadline for absentee ballots to be received to 4:00p.m. on April 13, 2020; 

• Extending the deadline for absentee ballot requests to be received to 5:00p.m. on April 3, 2020; 

• Removing other onerous witness requirements on absentee voters who can’t safely have their absentee ballot witnessed.

DNC Chair Tom Perez: “We are glad that the court came to the right decision today. Expanding access to absentee voting is critical in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and we continue to encourage all states to pursue vote-by-mail and no-excuse absentee voting to ensure that all eligible voters who want to cast a ballot have the means and ability to do so.”

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Republican Party of Wisconsin
April 2, 2020

WisGOP Statement in Response to Federal Court Decision

[Madison, WI] – Upon review of Judge Conley's decision and filing our notice of appeal with the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the Republican Party of Wisconsin issued the following statement from Chairman Andrew Hitt:

"Democrats asked the federal court to quickly rewrite our election laws, and while the court rejected nearly all of their demands, the court's decision to change the date by which absentee ballots can be received without any limitation on the postmarked date effectively changes the date of the election. Such a substantial decision normally left to our elected officials requires the review of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. We hope the appeals court defers to the Wisconsin legislative and executive branches and stays the district court's decision."

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April 2, 2020

Excerpts from U.S. District Judge William Conley's Ruling

"Despite these truly heroic efforts, the three most likely consequences of proceeding with the election on this basis are (1) a dramatic shortfall in the number of voters on election day as compared to recent primaries, even after accounting for the impressive increase in absentee voters, (2) a dramatic increase in the risk of cross-contamination of the coronavirus among in-person voters, poll workers and, ultimately, the general population in the State, or (3) a failure to achieve sufficient in-person voting to have a meaningful election and an increase in the spread of COVID-19. Nevertheless, the Wisconsin State Legislature and Governor apparently are hoping for a fourth possibility: that the efforts of the WEC Administrator, her staff, the municipalities and poll workers, as well as voters willing to ignore the obvious risk to themselves and others of proceeding with in-person voting, will thread the needle to produce a reasonable voter turnout and no increase in the dissemination of COVID-19."


"For the reasons that follow and provided on the record during the hearing on plaintiffs’ motions, the court will grant plaintiffs’ motions in part, and provide the following preliminary relief: (1) enjoin the enforcement of the requirement under Wis. Stat. § 6.87(6) that absentee ballots must be received by 8:00 p.m. on election day to be counted and extend the deadline for receipt of absentee ballots to 4:00 p.m. on April 13, 2020; (2) enjoin the enforcement of the requirement under Wis. Stat. § 6.86(1)(b) that absentee ballot requests must be received by April 2, 2020, and extend the deadline for receipt of absentee ballot requests by mail, fax or email (and if deemed administratively feasible in the sole discretion of the WEC Administrator, online) to 5:00 p.m. on April 3, 2020; and (3) enjoin the enforcement of Wis. Stat. § 6.87(2) as to absentee voters who have provided a written affirmation or other statement that they were unable to safely obtain a witness certification despite reasonable efforts to do so, provided that the ballots are otherwise valid."

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Bernie 2020
April 1, 2020

NEWS: Sanders Statement on Wisconsin Primary

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday issued the following statement ahead of Wisconsin's April 7th primary: 

“People should not be forced to put their lives on the line to vote, which is why 15 states are now following the advice of public health experts and delaying their elections. We urge Wisconsin to join them. The state should delay Tuesday’s vote, extend early voting and work to move entirely to vote-by-mail. While we wait for a decision, we urge our supporters to vote-by-mail.”

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March 31, 2020 - Amicus Brief of Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers filed in Rev. Greg Lewis v. Dean Knudson in the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Wisconsin [Case No. 20CV284]

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Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester)
March 27, 2020

Statement on Gov. Evers' Mail-in Ballot Election Request

Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) released the following statement on behalf of the Assembly Republican caucus on the governor’s request to the Legislature to make changes to the April 7th election.

“We’re united as a caucus in rejecting the governor’s request to upend the April 7th election. His last-minute scheme of a mail-in ballot election is logistically impossible and incredibly flawed. In fact, other states say it’s impossible to implement, especially two weeks before the election with countless staffing, postal and safety considerations; our local clerks are already running out of ballots and supplies.

“The governor’s idea is merely a statewide invitation for voter fraud. More than 100,000 votes have already been cast and 600,000 additional absentee ballots have been sent out, meaning that a large number of voters could receive two ballots. And because the voter rolls are not updated, ballots would go to thousands of people who may have moved. It was careless and reckless for Governor Evers to even make this suggestion.”

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Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau)
March 27, 2020

Sen. Fitzgerald: Rejects Evers’ idea as fantasy

[Madison, WI] — Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald released the following statement on Friday:

“Governor Evers just proposed procuring, printing, verifying, and mandating the mailing of millions of ballots within ten days. Even he knows that’s not logistically feasible. The clerks of this state should know this is a complete fantasy. The Legislature on both sides of the aisle has to know this is ridiculous. In pitching this idea, the governor is lying directly to Wisconsinites about this even being remotely possible. Acting like this is doable is a hoax.

“Record numbers of absentee ballots have already been sent out. All registered Wisconsin voters can easily request an absentee ballot from their clerk or online at myvote.wi.gov.”

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) represents the 13th Senate District, which covers portions of Dodge, Jefferson, Waukesha, Washington, Dane, and Columbia counties.

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Office of Gov. Tony Evers
https://twitter.com/GovEvers/status/1243591395484372992
March 27, 2020
Transcript of tweeted video:

Hi there folks. Gov. Evers here. Earlier this week I issued a "safer at home" order to help ensure that folks across our state are taking this issue seriously, and that everybody is doing their part to keep themselves, our neighbors, and our communities safe.

We have learned from countless people across our state who all want to be able to take part in the upcoming elections. And I say to them, I hear you...

My focus has been and will continue to be ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to cast their ballot in the upcoming election.

I know this is a difficult time, and I know that everyone is doing the best the can to stay safe.

The bottom line is that everybody should be able to participate in our democracy, period.

I understand the Republican leaders in the Legislature yesterday expressed their support for not delaying the upcoming election, but as elected officials our top priority has to be everyone's safety.

I am hopeful that all of us can agree that everyone should be able to exercise their right to vote, and that means we have to work together to ensure people are safe while they do it.

So today I'm asking the Legislature to come together to take bipartisan action to ensure that every registered voter receives an absentee ballot to vote in the upcoming election, to allow absentee ballots postmarked the day of the election, and to extend the time period to give our clerks extra time to count the influx of ballots.

We need to be doing everything we can to ensure that folks have that opportunity, while still staying safer at home, so I hope that the Legislature will act swiftly to send absentee ballots to every single registered voter living in Wisconsin.

And folks let me be clear: this is not a Republican issue or a Democratic issue—this is an issue of democracy.

I don't care who gets the credit, I just want to make sure that everyone has the chance to cast their ballot this April.

Thanks for watching and let's get it done, folks.

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Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester)
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau)
March 27, 2020

Statement: County Clerks’ Clear Violation of the Law

[Madison, WI] – Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) released the following statement after the Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell and Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson sent out incorrect legal advice to voters.

“It’s no surprise the liberal clerks in Dane and Milwaukee counties are encouraging people to vote illegally by not providing proper identification. Democrats continue to look for ways to circumvent the Photo ID law. They’re threatening the integrity of elections and needlessly exposing voters to disenfranchisement. It is completely inappropriate for them to use a pandemic to advance their far-left agenda. At a time when our state should be coming together, it’s sad that liberal clerks see it as an opportunity for political gain.”
Read a key memo on the clerks’ actions from the non-partisan Legislative Reference Bureau here, which states:
“Civil and criminal penalties apply both to voters and election officials who violate Wisconsin’s election and voting laws. The current public health emergency does not permit clerks to misapply Wisconsin’s elections laws.”

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League of Women Voters of Wisconsin
March 27, 2020

Groups Call for the April 7th Election to be Postponed

Today, March 27, 2020, the Governor has called on the Legislature to provide absentee ballots to all registered voters. The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin supports this action but we also know from the Wisconsin Elections Commission that there may not be enough printed ballots and envelopes to send all 3.3 million registered Wisconsin Voters absentee ballots in time for voters to exercise their right to vote on April 7th. Additionally, this action alone does not address how currently unregistered but eligible voters will be able to cast their ballots without jeopardizing their health and potentially the health of election officials and other voters.

Last night, LWVWI in partnership with Reverend Greg Lewis, Souls to the Polls; Voces de la Frontera; Black Leaders Organizing for Communities; American Federation of Teachers, Local 212; AFL-CIO; and SEIU Wisconsin State Council called upon the Western District Court to rule to delay this election.

In this unprecedented time of worldwide pandemic, we must afford ourselves the time to create solutions and technology that will allow all eligible voters to participate in this important Spring Election and Presidential Primary.

Attached you can find a copy of the complaint.
Complaint -- Lewis et al v. Knudson et al.pdf
 

The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin is a nonpartisan political organization that advocates for informed and active participation in government. There are 20 local Leagues throughout Wisconsin. More information at lwvwi.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 27, 2020 
Contact: 
Debra Cronmiller
Executive Director
Voces de la Frontera
March 27, 2020

VOCES DE LA FRONTERA JOINS FEDERAL LAWSUIT TO POSTPONE APRIL 7 WISCONSIN ELECTION

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LWV Wisconsin
March 26, 2020

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Wisconsin Elections Commission
March 25, 2020

Online Voter Registration for April 7 Available Again Until March 30

MADISON, WI – Wisconsin residents who need to register to vote for the April 7 Spring Election can now use MyVote.WI.gov to register online until March 30, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

Voters must be registered before they can request an absentee ballot, so reopening online registration was ordered by a federal court in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We strongly urge anyone who wishes to vote in the April 7 election to take action now online,” said Meagan Wolfe, Wisconsin’s chief elections official.  “Anyone who isn’t currently registered and wants to vote absentee for April 7 must act immediately.”

The absolute deadline for most voters to request an absentee ballot is Thursday, April 2, but Wolfe said voters should not wait until then due to the high volume of requests and potential mail delivery issues. The USPS is recommending giving yourself at least a week to return your ballot by mail.

“We want everyone who is eligible and who wants to vote to be able to do so safely,” Wolfe said. If your name or address has changed since you registered, you need to register with your current information.  You can check your registration status at myvote.wi.gov, click on “My Voter Info.”

The reopening of online voter registration follows a federal court order on Friday and several days of intense work by the WEC to change and test the MyVote Wisconsin website’s code, Wolfe said.

Online registration was restored early Wednesday morning, followed by several hours of monitoring before this announcement. Because of the expedited timeframe for implementing and testing this change, there is the potential for slowness or outages if there is heavy traffic to the system. 

The MyVote Wisconsin website and the Elections Commission website now display this court-ordered notice:

SPECIAL NOTICE WITH RESPECT TO ONLINE REGISTRATION AND ABSENTEE BALLOTS FOR APRIL 7, 2020, ELECTION ONLY DUE TO CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

    By order of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, online registration to vote was extended until March 30, 2020, for the April 7, 2020 Spring Election and Presidential Primary ONLY.  This order is notwithstanding ANY contrary Wisconsin Statute, notice on this website, other State websites or other writing or postings.

    The primary purpose of this extension is to facilitate voting by absentee ballots for those who may no longer wish to or who are unable to vote in person during the absentee voting period on or before Friday, April 3, 2020, or at their polling place on Election Day, April 7, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

    If you are not currently registered to vote in the State of Wisconsin, you may register through the MyVote Wisconsin website.  Registering online requires that you already have a valid, unexpired Wisconsin driver’s license or Wisconsin state ID card. The address, name, date of birth, and driver license number you are using to register to vote must match the information that DMV has on file for you. If you need to update your address with DMV, you can do so online.

    To obtain an absentee ballot, you will not only have to complete the online registration process if you are not already registered, but you will also need to request that an absentee ballot be mailed to you.  This may be done either through the MyVote Wisconsin website or through a separate written request submitted to your municipal clerk.

    When requesting an absentee ballot through MyVote, if you have not previously submitted a copy of your photo ID, you will need to submit a copy of your photo ID electronically through the MyVote site.  Photo ID must also be submitted by a first-time absentee voter if the request is made by other written means.  The photo ID may be a Wisconsin driver license or State ID card, a U.S. passport or certificate of naturalization, a military ID or veterans identification card, or a student ID card issued by a Wisconsin accredited university or college which is accompanied by proof of enrollment.

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Office of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett
March 24, 2020

Mayor Barrett: A letter to Gov. Evers, Sen. Fitzgerald and Rep. Vos

Dear Governor Evers, Senator Scott Fitzgerald and Representative Robin Vos:

As we all navigate the unprecedented health and economic challenges that covid-19 has brought to residents throughout the State of Wisconsin, I want to thank each of you for the leadership you have shown. We have already witnessed the disruption and hardships this disease has caused in addition to the health ramifications that are continuing to unfold. We must continue to work together as leaders and Americans to do all we can to protect the health and well-being of all residents in our great state.

It is in that spirit that I write to you about the spring election scheduled for April 7.

In conversations with each of you individually, I have supported your shared desire to hold our spring primary as scheduled. Having monitored the situation we are experiencing in Milwaukee, I now believe that neither in-person absentee voting nor in-person voting on April 7 is feasible or safe for our workers or residents. Consequently, I am asking you to modify the election procedure and to conduct it through mail ballots.

Late yesterday afternoon, I learned that the Elections Commission for the City of Milwaukee could no longer maintain sufficient staffing levels to operate our three in-person absentee or “early” voting locations. This occurred because the Election Commission was losing staff daily, including site supervisors.

The staffing situation has become even more challenging as a result of both the local and state “stay at home” orders. In fact, late this afternoon, Neil Albrecht, Executive Director of the Commission, informed me that since the Governor’s announcement this morning, “we are losing the commitment of dozens of election workers by the hour,” including chief inspectors who run the sites.

As we see more personnel, including longtime dependable workers, choose to stay away from polling sites where many people normally congregate, we need to focus our energy on retaining and attracting people to handle absentee ballots.

Voting sites have also become a challenge. The Commission has already been forced to relocate fifteen voting sites and needs to address ten more sites. It then must secure the sanitation and disinfecting supplies needed to operate these sites. Given reported shortages across the state, these supplies could and should be more effectively allocated.

At such a perilous time, it is imperative that we conduct this election so that every eligible person has the opportunity to secure their ballot, vote, and return it. We all understand that our democracy works best when citizens have an opportunity to vote. Under the present circumstances, in-person voting, particularly with lines of people, is simply not safe, feasible, or responsible.

This is very real. In good conscience I would not ask one of my loved ones to sit in a room for hours greeting dozens of people during this pandemic. I can’t expect citizens of my city to do that either.

I recognize that a ballot by mail election presents its own challenges. It will take more time and could not be completed realistically by April 7.

In addition, uploading an ID is confusing and cumbersome to voters and many do not have the cell phone or internet access to facilitate the process properly. For some individuals, it would present a significant barrier to voting. Consequently, photo ID requirements should be waived for registered voters.

Accommodations also need to be made for the witness requirement as a result of the limits on social mobility and interaction.

Finally, current state law does not permit us to count absentee ballots until election day. We could see as many as 130,000 absentee ballots cast in Milwaukee, compared to 62,000 in the 2016 Presidential Election. We need a significantly longer processing period that begins prior to any election date.

Timing is of the essence. Every day spent preparing for in-person voting is a lost opportunity for municipalities to retool their election systems and regain traction with meeting the already heavy demands for absentee ballots.

In closing, I do not make this request lightly. Like all of you I have hoped that this step would not be necessary. Unfortunately, it is.

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Wisconsin Elections Commission
March 24, 2020

Absentee Ballot Requests for April 7 Exceed 550,000 Amid COVID-19 Concerns

MADISON, WI – Wisconsin voters continue requesting absentee ballots at a record pace with concerns about Coronavirus COVID-19, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

As of Tuesday morning, 554,116 absentee applications have been received by Wisconsin municipal clerks, compared to 482,740 on Monday and 134,556 the previous Monday one week earlier. More than 520,000 absentee ballots have already been issued, mostly by mail.  It’s important to note that this number does not include absentee ballot requests that have not yet been entered into the state system by clerks, such as emailed requests, mailed requests, or requests by voters that require the clerk to approve the photo ID, meaning the number of requests may be much higher. 

Daily absentee ballot reports, including county-by-county numbers, are being posted here: https://elections.wi.gov/publications/statistics/absentee. (See additional absentee ballot statistics below.)

“We remain encouraged that so many voters are requesting absentee ballots already, especially through the MyVote Wisconsin website,” said Meagan Wolfe, Wisconsin’s chief elections official.  She urged anyone who wants to vote absentee for April 7 to act immediately.

“We want everyone who is eligible and who wants to vote to be able to do so safely,” she said. “Absentee voting will also greatly reduce crowds at polling places on Election Day, which will make social distancing much easier.”

Online Registration Returning Soon
WEC is working as quickly as it can to reinstate online voter registration at MyVote Wisconsin following a federal court order late Friday requiring the WEC to reopen it until March 30, Wolfe said.

“We will reopen registration online as soon as we can make and test the changes to our systems,” Wolfe said. “This is not as simple as reposting an online form or flipping a switch.  With the election underway, we need to be very careful to test this change to ensure it does not adversely affect other functions, including absentee ballot requests.  We will update the public and local election officials as soon as we know when MyVote Wisconsin will be ready.”

WEC is also working to ensure clerks have enough absentee envelopes to fill demand. The agency has ordered 1.2 million envelopes (600,000 each of the inner and outer envelopes), which are scheduled for delivery mid-week. These will be express shipped to county clerks, who will distribute them to municipal clerks who need them.

Absentee Ballot Requests Pouring In
[Graph]

These numbers from past Spring Elections put the 2020 requests into perspective:
 

Spring Election	Absentee issued total	Total Ballots Cast	Turnout	Percent Absentee
2016	249,503	2,113,544	47.38%	11.80%
2017	103,533	708,711	15.86%	14.61%
2018	130,041	997,485	22.32%	13.04%
2019	170,121	1,224,303	27.22%	13.90%
2020-To Date	544,116	NA	NA	NA

           
In comparison, there were 819,316 absentee ballots cast in the November 2016 Presidential Election. The 2016 Spring Election and Presidential Preference Primary was a particularly high turnout election, due to both major political parties having competitive nomination races. In 2020, only one major party has a contested race for President on the ballot in Wisconsin.  Increased absentee ballots do not necessarily predict higher voter turnout as more voters may simply be voting prior to Election Day.

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Voces de la Frontera
March 23, 2020

DELAY THE APRIL 7 ELECTION; KEEP VOTERS AND POLL WORKERS SAFE

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Wisconsin Elections Commission
March 23, 2020

Wisconsin Needs Poll Workers to Deal with COVID-19 Situation

MADISON, WI – The State of Wisconsin is calling on residents willing to serve as poll workers in their counties for the April 7 election to replace older poll workers who are unable to serve due to health concerns and the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

Wisconsin has approximately 30,000 poll workers, known as election inspectors, who serve at polling places. A significant number of them are in their 60s and 70s, and many may have other health conditions.

“We know there are Wisconsinites looking for ways to serve their communities through this difficult time,” said Meagan Wolfe, Wisconsin’s chief elections official.  “If you are a state, county or municipal employee, a teacher, a student or someone who is looking for temporary work, municipal clerks need your help.”

In Wisconsin, election inspectors are appointed at the municipal level.  Anyone who is interested in working should contact their municipal clerk’s office, which you can find on the MyVote Wisconsin website: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/MyMunicipalClerk. Enter you address in the search fields and the system will tell you who your municipal clerk is and provide a phone number and email address.  Put “Poll Worker Applicant” in the subject line so that your clerk will be able to easily sort the requests.

Wisconsin law also allows people to serve as election inspectors in other municipalities within their county. If you are willing to serve in a municipality outside of your own, let your clerk know and they can alert the county about your availability.  You can also contact the county directly and can find contact information for county clerks here: https://elections.wi.gov/clerks/directory.

Municipal clerks will provide training for any new election inspectors before the election.

“The Commission and WEC staff recognize that this is an evolving situation and will continue to rely on the guidance of public health officials.  We all stand ready to adjust as directed to ensure the safety of clerks, poll workers and voters,” said Wolfe.

What are the responsibilities of a poll worker?
Poll workers conduct assigned duties at a polling site on Election Day.  Duties can include issuing ballots to registered voters, registering voters, monitoring the voting equipment, explaining how to mark the ballot or use the voting equipment, or counting votes.

Other positions at a polling place include a greeter who assists with answering questions and directing voters to the voting area, an election registration official to a polling place to register voters, and tabulators to assist at the polling place after it closes.

What are the hours of work?
Polling places are open statewide from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Poll workers can work a full day, generally from 6:30 a.m. until approximately 9:00 p.m. or later in the case of November elections.  In many municipalities, election inspectors can work a split shift.

Are poll workers (election inspectors) paid or volunteers?
Poll workers are compensated for working at polling places at a rate determined by the appropriate municipal governing body, and, in some municipalities, are also compensated for attending any required training sessions.  Poll workers may also choose to volunteer their services by filing a written declination of compensation with the municipal clerk

What are the training requirements for poll workers?
Municipal clerks are required by state law to provide training. This training provides all of the necessary information and knowledge to be a successful poll worker.  (Many municipalities require poll workers to attend a comprehensive training course prior to each Primary election.)
 
An experienced chief inspector who has been certified by the Wisconsin Elections Commission must be present at each polling place for each election. Chief inspectors must receive six hours of continuing election education training during each two-year period.

What length of commitment will be expected?
Poll workers are usually appointed to two-year terms and are generally asked to make a minimum two-year commitment.   However, given the current circumstances volunteers for only the April 7 election are appreciated and should not be expected to meet the full two-year commitment.

Where will I be assigned?
In smaller municipalities, there is often only one polling place.  However, in larger municipalities there are multiple polling places. In larger municipalities, every effort is made to assign a poll worker to their neighborhood voting site.  However, poll workers in larger municipalities such as large cities must be willing to be flexible and consider assignments at other sites.  You may also be asked to serve in another municipality in your county if there is a greater need for volunteers outside of your municipality. 

What are the qualifications to be a poll worker (election inspector)?
To be a poll worker, a person must:

    * Be a qualified elector of the county in which the municipality is located (i.e., an adult citizen of the United States who has resided in the election district for 10 consecutive days and is not otherwise disqualified to vote)
    * Be able to read and write fluently in the English language
    * NOT be a candidate for any office to be voted on at the polling place at that election.

A poll worker may also:

    * Have strong clerical skills
    * Be able to solve problems
    * Be an effective communicator.

How do I become a poll worker?
If you are interested in becoming a poll worker you should apply directly to your town, village or city clerk.

Can I be excused from my regular job to be a poll worker?
Wisconsin law requires every employer to grant an unpaid leave of absence to each employee who is appointed to serve as an election official, if the employee who serves as an election official provides their employer with at least seven days' notice.  The leave is for the entire 24-hour period of each election day in which the employee serves in their official capacity as an election official.   Upon request of any employer municipal clerks must verify appointments.

How do state employees become poll workers?
Wisconsin Statutes provide that state employees appointed by a municipal clerk to serve as election officials must be granted leave without loss of pay or benefits for the entire 24-hour period of each election day in which the employee is serving as an election official. Employees must provide at least seven days’ notice of the need for leave.

State employees may certify to the municipality that they choose not to be paid as poll workers.  Alternatively, those state employees who receive pay as election officials must certify in writing to the (state) payroll office the amount of compensation received. The agency must deduct that amount from the employee’s pay earned for scheduled work hours during the 24-hour period of the election day.

State employees who “volunteer” but are not appointed to be poll workers must take vacation or leave without pay if authorized by supervisory staff.

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Wisconsin Elections Commission
[letter from Meagan Wolfe, Administrator, Chief Election Official to Gov. Tony Evers]
March 20, 2020

Dear Governor Evers,

I am writing as the Chief Election Official for the State of Wisconsin to request your immediate action to support the upcoming April 7, 2020 statewide election and presidential preference primary. Voting for the April 7 statewide election is underway in Wisconsin's 1,850 municipalities. As new concerns emerge daily related to COVID-19 we must work closely with our federal, state and local government partners to ensure that every eligible Wisconsinite can safely participate in the election. At the March 18 meeting of the six-member Wisconsin Elections Commission, the commission unanimously moved to adopt a six-part directive. Specific to their directive, we request the following:


On April 7 there will be nearly 2,000 polling places requiring more than 20,000 poll workers and the potential of up to 2,000,000 voters or their absentee ballots. Elections are large public gatherings. In most other areas of our now daily lives, public gatherings have been prohibited. As required by law, in-person absentee voting and in-person registration extend these election gatherings to sites around the state for the next 18 days. Many of our trusted election custodians are over the age of 60. Others have health concerns that may place them at risk. Further, almost every municipality around the state has conveyed they do not have access to the sanitation supplies directed by public health officials.

As of today, local election officials do not have access to the people or supplies needed. This leaves voters, clerks, and poll workers to make difficult choices. Voters should not have to choose between voting or staying healthy. Poll workers should not have to choose between serving their community or staying healthy. Our local election officials should not have to choose between facilitating democracy or staying healthy.

I believe in our state and in our ability to find a way to do both. We need critical assistance to support elections in finding the people and the resources needed to make certain that each eligible citizen can exercise both their right to vote and their right to do so in a way that will not potentially jeopardize their health. On behalf of the Wisconsin Elections Commission and local election officials I am making the following requests.

1) Hand Sanitizer and Supplies
The Center for Disease Control has issued directions specific to elections and polling places to prevent the spread of COVID-19. That guidance recommends that voters and poll workers have access to hand sanitizer and surface cleaning supplies. It also discusses using cleaners on voting equipment in accordance with manufacturers' instructions.

Local election officials do not have access to the supplies they need. In almost every community in the state, local election officials have reported they cannot find, purchase, or manufacture the hand sanitizer, hand washing stations, or surface and equipment wipes needed to keep them safe. At the Elections Commission we have also explored all avenues and lack access to obtain resources to distribute to local election officials. This is not a problem we have 18 days to solve, this is a problem today. The statutory requirements for in-person absentee and registration paired with the exemption of voting locations from the prohibition on gatherings more than 10 people, our local election officials are reporting they feel as though they are in limbo as we speak. We will continue to advise election offices on things they can do to meet the guidance, such as access to soap and water and working with their county health department. We are also exploring all available resources through the state, including working with manufacturers and distilleries to find raw materials.

I ask you to allocate any sanitation resources available through the state to protect the health of our voters, our local election officials, and our poll workers. Allow our local election officials access to the supplies they need to protect themselves through the state's allocation of their resource pool. Protect our public servants and the keepers of our democracy and protect our voters who are exercising their sacred right to vote.

2) Recruitment of Poll Workers
Even during the best of times, staffing polling places in each municipality requires a monumental effort on the part oflocal election officials. It also relies on at least 20,000 citizens of our state to be willing to serve as poll workers. In previous elections, more than 50% of Wisconsin's poll workers are over the age considered to be more at risk to develop serious illness from COVID-19. Local election officials around the state have expressed that they have exhausted their lists of backup poll workers; many poll workers have already conveyed they will be unable to serve. Clerks are also concerned that poll workers who are currently scheduled may become unavailable on Election Day. Local election officials have already begun recruiting students, government employees, and private industry employees to serve as poll workers and are continuing to find they are short the needed number. Poll workers must be trained in order to facilitate and safeguard the integrity of each vote. Training must start now so they can be adequately prepared in voter registration, tabulation, poll books, photo ID, and more.

I ask you to stand with me and call on Wisconsinites who are able to serve in place of experienced poll workers who are unable. I also ask you to join me in this call to action now. There are many people looking for ways to serve their community during this uncertain time. I am confident that if we put out the call, they will answer.

3) Need for a Health Official Liaison
The staff of the Wisconsin Elections Commission are experts in election law and policy. We are not, however, experts in public health nor have we had exposure to these challenges in the past. One of our agency's core responsibilities is to provide training and guidance to the 1,850 municipal and 72 county election officials. With the current COVID-19 crisis, we are tasked to guide our clerk partners through the intersection of public health and elections. As guidance changes daily, we are left to wonder if what we have provided is sufficient and will help to protect clerks and voters.

I ask you to assign the Elections Commission a Public Health expert dedicated to our office through this crisis. This person would help to create and review the documentation and training designed to keep clerks, poll workers, and voters safe by ensuring our guidance is accurate and that it complies with current health guidance. Decisions will need to be made very quickly in the next 18 days as the threat and guidance change. Our 1,922 local election officials, 20,000 poll workers, and potentially 2,000,000 voters are counting on us to protect them. We need expertise to guide us through this process.

We must act now. Any delay may jeopardize our democracy and the health of our citizens. Elections are designated as national, Critical Infrastructure - one of the sectors considered the pillars of our society. Today we stand before an opportunity to choose to reinforce this pillar together to support thriving elections in Wisconsin. I look forward to working with you on this most important mission.

Yours in service to our great state,

Meagan Wolfe
Administrator, Chief Election Official
Wisconsin Election Commission

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Democratic National Committee
March 18, 2020

Democratic National Committee, Democratic Party of Wisconsin File Lawsuit to Expand Access to Voting in Wake of Global Pandemic 

MADISON, WI - Today, the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin are filing a request in the Western District of Wisconsin to expand access to voting in response to the growing coronavirus threat. 

The suit seeks the following: 

• Extend the electronic and by-mail registration to April 3;

• Suspend the requirement that copies of photo identification accompany absentee
  ballot requests and copies of proof of residency documents accompany voter registration requests, for the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak; and

• Extend the current deadline requiring absentee mail-in ballots to be received
  by  8:00 p.m. on Election Day to being postmarked by Election Day and received by municipal clerks’ offices within 10 days of the election. 
  

By implementing these measures, the state can ensure that Wisconsinites’ right to vote is not infringed upon during this extraordinary and unprecedented time. 

While the coronavirus pandemic poses an escalating public health crisis and there are a growing number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Wisconsin, today remains the electronic and by-mail registration deadline for Wisconsinites to participate in the April 7 elections. In order to control the spread of the coronavirus, schools, libraries, and businesses across the state have closed, Governor Evers banned gatherings of more than 10 people in the state, and public health officials have recommended social distancing and self-isolation to individuals in Wisconsin and across the country. The unintended consequence of these measures is a limit on the ability of Wisconsinites to access the tools necessary to comply with current rules around voter registration and absentee ballot submissions and potentially prevent countless Wisconsinites from successfully voting. 

Extending registration deadlines, suspending burdensome voter documentation requirements, and extending the deadline for absentee by-mail ballots that are postmarked on or by Election Day to be received by municipal clerks’ offices within 10  days of the election are all essential to ensuring that the April 7 elections are free, thorough and safe. 

Democratic Party Chair Tom Perez issued the following statement: 

“These steps are critical to ensuring that all Wisconsinites who wish to participate in the April 7 elections are able to do so. Given the necessary measures taken by Governor Evers and public health officials in Wisconsin to limit the spread of the virus, it’s more important than ever that we expand access to voting, and increasing these necessary measures will help protect both public health and Wisconsinites' right to participate in our democracy.” 

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler issued the following statement:  

“Nobody should have to choose between exposure to COVID-19 and disenfranchisement. The court should immediately strike down the barriers to full participation in voting by mail. Our democracy depends on our ability to conduct free, safe, and fair elections, no matter what—even during a pandemic.”

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Wisconsin Elections Commission
March 13, 2020

Wisconsin Elections Commission Responds to Coronavirus COVID-19, Urges Absentee Voting

MADISON, WI – The Wisconsin Elections Commission strongly urges anyone who is concerned about Coronavirus COVID-19 exposure to make plans now to vote absentee for the April 7 Spring Election and Presidential Preference Primary.
 
“If you are worried about getting to the polls on Election Day, make sure you are registered to vote at your current address and with your current name and request an absentee ballot as soon as possible,” said Meagan Wolfe, Wisconsin’s chief elections official.
 
Acting by Wednesday, March 18, is especially important for anyone who needs to register to vote, Wolfe said. “We want everyone who is eligible and who wants to vote to be able to do so safely,” she said. If your name or address has changed since you need to register with your current information.  You can check your registration status at myvote.wi.gov, click on "My Voter Info."
 
The WEC is working closely with county and municipal clerks throughout the state to help them prepare for a safe and healthy election. The WEC is holding three webinars throughout the day Monday for clerks.
 
On Thursday, the six-member, bi-partisan Elections Commission took unanimous action to protect voters in nursing homes.  Wolfe said the Commissioners will be holding additional meetings in the coming weeks as further action is necessary to protect voters and election officials during the voting process.
 
WEC is also working closely with Wisconsin Emergency Management and the Department of Health Services.

How to Register to Vote by the Deadline
Wednesday, March 18 is the deadline for electors to register to vote by mail or online for the Presidential Preference Primary and Spring Election. After this date, electors must register in person in the municipal clerk's office or at the polling place.
 
According to state law, mailed voter registration forms must be postmarked no later than the third Wednesday before the election. Online registration closes at 11:59 p.m. the same day.
 
Online voter registration is available at https://myvote.wi.gov. There are two ways you can register using the website:
 

People with a Wisconsin driver license or state ID card whose address is current with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation can complete their online registration immediately. People who need to update their address with DOT can accomplish that online and complete their online registration.
People without a Wisconsin driver license or state ID card can fill out the voter registration form online, then print it, sign it and mail it to their municipal clerk’s office along with a proof-of -residence document. The website has detailed instructions. If you do not have a printer where you are, you can save the completed form as a PDF and make arrangements to have a family member or a friend with a printer, or a copy center, to print it for you.
 
Voter registration forms that can be printed and filled out by hand are also available here in English: https://elections.wi.gov/forms/el-131-fillable
Voter registration forms that can be printed and filled out by hand are also available here in Spanish: https://elections.wi.gov/forms/el-131-spanish
 
Remember, the deadline to register online or by mail is Wednesday, March 18.
 
Voters who miss the deadline may also register in their municipal clerk’s office until the Friday before the election, April 3 or at the polls on election day.

How to Request an Absentee Ballot
There are several ways registered voters can request absentee ballots. If they have internet access, the easiest way is to sign up at MyVote Wisconsin, https://myvote.wi.gov.
 
Just look for the “Vote Absentee” button near the top of the page. On a mobile phone, use the menu button in the upper right corner of the website. There is a three-step process that starts with putting in your name and date of birth, followed by requesting your ballot. If you don’t already have a photo ID on file with your clerk’s office, you can upload a copy. Mobile phone users can take a picture and upload it to MyVote. Absentee ballot requests submitted this way go directly to your clerk’s office, and you can track your ballot by returning to the website.
 
Voters can also request absentee ballots by mailing, emailing or faxing their municipal clerk’s office. You can find your clerk’s contact information on MyVote Wisconsin. These requests must be accompanied by a copy of your photo ID.   If you already have a photo ID on file from previous absentee requests under your current registration, you will not need to provide it again.

Voters who are indefinitely confined, meaning they may have difficulty getting to the polls for reason of age, illness, infirmity, or disability are not required to provide a photo ID.  Voters in care facilities can have a representative of the facility confirm the resident's identity instead of providing a photo ID.  More information on photo ID and exemptions can be found at bringit.wi.gov.
 
The deadline for registered voters to request an absentee ballot be mailed to you is the Thursday before the election, April 2. However, the WEC urges voters not to wait, due to possible delays in mail delivery.  If you get an absentee ballot mailed to you, you can still decide to vote at the polls on Election Day if you haven’t returned it.
 
Your absentee ballot must be received in your clerk’s office or at your polling place by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Again, the WEC urges voters to request and return ballots as soon as possible.

Next Steps
At its March 12 meeting, the Commission affirmed that it is ready to meet for an emergency meeting if health officials issue additional guidance that impacts elections.  At this time the Commission has not considered any additional changes to the process, dates or deadlines for the April 7 election.  The Commission is also working with state leaders to determine the legal mechanisms for making future changes should they be needed. 

“The Commission and WEC staff recognize that this is an evolving situation and will continue to rely on the guidance of public health officials.  We all stand ready to adjust as directed to ensure the safety of clerks, poll workers and voters,” said Wolfe.