Wisconsin judge won’t order sequestering of absentee ballots

MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin judge on Monday, less than 14 hours before polls opened, refused to order that military absentee ballots be pulled aside and sequestered until it can be verified that they were cast legally, saying that would be a “drastic remedy” that could disenfranchise voters. The judge said the case did raise questions about whether the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission was adequately informing the state’s 1,800-plus election clerks about their duty to maintain a list of eligible military voters. The lawsuit comes after a top Milwaukee County elections official was charged with fraudulently requesting three military ballots using fake names and having them sent to Brandtjen as way to expose vulnerabilities in Wisconsin elections. ”It’s a disgusting act.” The case is certain to increase the pressure on the bipartisan state elections commission, which Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels has said he wants to eliminate if he wins Tuesday’s election.