Paul Archambault et al v. WEC et al

In Archambault v. Wisconsin Elections Commission, a plaintiff in Waukesha County filed a lawsuit challenging WEC’s authority to issue any guidance to help Wisconsin’s elections run smoothly. This was a brazen and fundamentally incorrect attack on the purpose and function of WEC, flying in the face of the Wisconsin statutes that created the WEC and put it in charge of helping Wisconsin’s 1,850 municipal clerks run elections.

Law Forward successfully intervened in the case on behalf of Disability Rights Wisconsin to defend the authority of WEC, which often issues guidance about different procedures or accommodations required to ensure every qualified voter can cast a ballot. We argued that Wisconsin law clearly authorizes WEC to issue guidance and provide support to municipal clerks, emphasizing that WEC’s guidance helps clerks comply with state and federal laws to ensure voters with disabilities access the franchise.

In a hearing on September 21, 2022, the Waukesha County Circuit Court denied the plaintiff’s motion for a temporary injunction.

On March 29, 2023, the Waukesha County Circuit Court denied the plaintiff’s request for summary judgment and an injunction.

On April 24, 2023, Judge Michael J. Aprahamian dismissed the case.