A Voting Rights Victory in Wisconsin Highlights the Ongoing Threat in Other States
A Voting Rights Victory in Wisconsin Highlights the Ongoing Threat in Other States
In January, a Wisconsin court ruled that a voter’s absentee ballot can’t be rejected just because the voter’s witness failed to write their complete address on the ballot return envelope. Republican lawmakers are appealing the ruling.
Across the country, laws like Wisconsin’s “witness requirement” add unnecessary steps to voting and result in ballots being rejected. Election officials already confirm your eligibility to vote when you request a ballot and when you return your ballot, so there’s no need for a third person to witness your ballot—and definitely no need to reject your ballot just because your witness makes a small mistake.
Before this lawsuit, even a minor error by your witness could have invalidated your entire ballot.
This is the fight for democracy in 2024:
Unnecessary, excessive voting rules remain on the books.
If they remain in effect, those laws will impact enough votes to swing the outcomes of close elections.
Democrats and progressive nonprofits are fighting to strike down bad laws that disenfranchise voters (Rise brought this winning case).
Republicans—per former President Donald Trump’s decree that the party isn’t filing enough “election integrity” lawsuits—continue to defend those laws.
This is a fight that YOU can play a role in. Visit our Resources page to learn how you can fight back.
Follow this Wisconsin case and all other voting rights litigation at Democracy Docket.
Find more information about how to vote by mail in Wisconsin at vote.org.