This past year, Wisconsin’s legislature led the nation in proposing anti-democratic legislation. A report Law Forward recently published with our partners at States United Democracy Center and Protect Democracy analyzes 229 bills in 33 states that would change state and local election systems in ways that could undermine the voters’ choices in future elections. Thirty-six of these election subversion bills were introduced in Wisconsin, the most of any state. Of the 36 Wisconsin bills included in the report, six of them successfully passed through both houses of the legislature, only to be vetoed by Governor Tony Evers on April 8, 2022. Even though none of these bills became law, this trend is deeply concerning.
The 2020 election was free, fair, and accurate. The local officials who administer elections across Wisconsin, from Rhinelander to River Falls to Racine, are public servants who perform their duties with integrity, competence, and pride. Their efforts in the face of an unprecedented global pandemic have been heroic. To suggest that they need micromanaging is to question that integrity and competence. Some rightwing legislators continue to amplify the conspiracy theories and pander to the faction of voters who believe these lies. We need legislators who will protect election officials from rightwing attacks and give them the resources to do their jobs instead of undermining our system
One troubling theme of this report is that some legislators, including in Wisconsin, are open to rejecting the voters’ will. Voters decide elections—this is one of our core values as Americans. In Wisconsin, we have a proud tradition of high voter turnout because we value and understand our responsibility to choose our leaders. For example, one of the vetoed bills would prohibit clerks from common-sense ballot curing, throwing out votes because of clerical mistakes. We must prioritize the sacred right to cast a ballot over clerical perfection.
When politicians attempt to overturn the will of the voters to protect their own power, it undermines public trust. Although these bills failed this session, we are perilously close to a different scenario where they become law. If a rightwing candidate becomes governor in 2023 there will no longer be any barrier to passing those laws. All Wisconsinites, no matter their political party, must work together to protect our democracy. Voters should hold their elected officials accountable for faithless attacks on our election systems. At Law Forward, we are fighting for fair maps, seeking accountability for anti-democratic actors like the 2020 fraudulent electors, and advocating for the freedom to vote.