Wisconsin judge refuses GOP request to pause absentee voting ruling sought by disabled people
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Wisconsin judge refuses GOP request to pause absentee voting ruling sought by disabled people

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — A judge refused Thursday to put on hold his ruling that allows disabled people in Wisconsin to be emailed absentee ballots at home in November’s presidential election in the closely watched battleground state. But Dane County Circuit Judge Everett Mitchell on Thursday rejected their arguments, saying putting his ruling on hold “would inflict significant harm on both the disability rights advocates and the public interest.” It will now be up to the state appeals court to decide whether to pause the ruling that opens up a new way for an unknown number of disabled voters to cast their ballots in swing state Wisconsin before the Nov. 5 election. Mitchell granted a temporary injunction on June 25 that allows clerks to email ballots to voters who self-certify that they can’t read or mark a paper ballot without help. Questions over who can cast absentee ballots and how have become a political flashpoint in Wisconsin, where four of the past six presidential elections have been decided by less than a percentage point.

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History of this topic

Wisconsin Supreme Court weighs the use of mobile voting vans and who can bring election lawsuits
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Wisconsin Supreme Court weighs the use of mobile voting vans and who can bring election lawsuits

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Supreme Court wrestled Tuesday with whether a Republican had standing to bring a lawsuit that challenges the use of a mobile voting van in 2022 and seeks to ban their use in any future election in the presidential battleground state. Vebber said he didn’t know if the court could, but if it did, “I think …

Judge dismisses lawsuit challenging absentee voting procedure in battleground Wisconsin
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Judge dismisses lawsuit challenging absentee voting procedure in battleground Wisconsin

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin judge dismissed a lawsuit Monday that challenged absentee voting procedures, preventing administrative headaches for local election clerks and hundreds of thousands of voters in the politically volatile swing state ahead of fall elections. Oldenberg argued that the state Elections Commission hasn’t been following a state law that requires voters who electronically request absentee ballots to …

Federal judge tosses Ohio voting restrictions on voters with disabilities
5 months ago

Federal judge tosses Ohio voting restrictions on voters with disabilities

Associated Press  

CLEVELAND — A federal judge has struck down part of Ohio’s sweeping 2023 election law, which voting rights groups said restricted people from helping voters with disabilities cast absentee ballots. Voting advocates argued that the Republican-backed law went too far by prohibiting anyone but a few qualifying family members from helping people with disabilities deliver their ballots, excluding potential helpers …

Federal judge tosses Ohio voting restrictions on voters with disabilities
5 months ago

Federal judge tosses Ohio voting restrictions on voters with disabilities

LA Times  

A federal judge has struck down part of Ohio’s sweeping 2023 election law, which voting rights groups said restricted people from helping voters with disabilities cast absentee ballots. Voting advocates argued that the Republican-backed law went too far by prohibiting anyone but a few qualifying family members from helping people with disabilities deliver their ballots, excluding potential helpers such as …

Wisconsin voters can once again return ballots by drop box, state high court rules
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Wisconsin voters can once again return ballots by drop box, state high court rules

NPR  

Wisconsin voters can once again return ballots by drop box, state high court rules toggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images MADISON, Wis. — Voters in Wisconsin once again have the option to return absentee ballots via drop box, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled. The 4-3 decision released Friday reverses a near-total ban on ballot drop boxes, which was handed down …

Voting rights advocates ask federal judge to toss Ohio voting restrictions they say violate ADA
6 months, 4 weeks ago

Voting rights advocates ask federal judge to toss Ohio voting restrictions they say violate ADA

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Voting rights advocates asked a …

Wisconsin Supreme Court will reconsider ruling limiting absentee ballot drop boxes
9 months, 1 week ago

Wisconsin Supreme Court will reconsider ruling limiting absentee ballot drop boxes

Associated Press  

Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election. MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Supreme Court will consider overturning its own ruling limiting the use of absentee ballot drop boxes, the justices said Tuesday. The court ruled in July 2022 that absentee drop boxes may be used only in election offices and no one other than the voter can …

Democrats’ challenge to Wisconsin absentee ballot rules is a step closer to state Supreme Court
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Democrats’ challenge to Wisconsin absentee ballot rules is a step closer to state Supreme Court

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Democrats are appealing a judge’s dismissal of their lawsuit as they once again seek to allow Wisconsin voters to return absentee ballots in drop boxes, bringing the challenge one step closer to the liberal-controlled state Supreme Court. Absentee ballot drop boxes were barred in Wisconsin in 2022 following criticism by former President Donald Trump. In July 2022, …

Wisconsin judge rules that absentee voting van used in 2022 was illegal
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Wisconsin judge rules that absentee voting van used in 2022 was illegal

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin judge has ruled that state law does not allow the use of mobile absentee voting sites, siding with Republicans who had challenged Racine’s use of a voting van that traveled around the city in 2022. The van was used only to facilitate early in-person voting during the two weeks prior to an election, Racine City …

Wisconsin judge dismisses lawsuit over military voting lists
1 year, 4 months ago

Wisconsin judge dismisses lawsuit over military voting lists

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin judge has dismissed a GOP state lawmaker’s lawsuit over military voting records, saying Friday that the challenge should have been brought against a local elections official, not the statewide elections commission. Rep. Janel Brandtjen, the former head of the Assembly elections committee who has promoted election conspiracy theories, and a local veterans group sued the …

Mississippi can't restrict absentee voting assistance this year, US judge says as he blocks law
1 year, 4 months ago

Mississippi can't restrict absentee voting assistance this year, US judge says as he blocks law

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A federal judge blocked a …

National Democrats file absentee ballot lawsuit in Wisconsin ahead of state Supreme Court flip
1 year, 5 months ago

National Democrats file absentee ballot lawsuit in Wisconsin ahead of state Supreme Court flip

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — A new lawsuit filed in Wisconsin by a national Democratic law firm seeks to once again allow voters to return absentee ballots in drop boxes, a practice that was barred by the state Supreme Court last year following criticism by former President Donald Trump. The lawsuit filed Thursday by the Elias Law Group comes less than two …

Disabled Wisconsin voters say absentee law not followed
1 year, 8 months ago

Disabled Wisconsin voters say absentee law not followed

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Disabled voters say local election leaders across Wisconsin are not following federal law during early voting in the high-stakes race for state Supreme Court, incorrectly telling them they can’t have another person return their absentee ballot for them. Wisconsin Republicans successfully sued last year to ban absentee ballot drop boxes, and the conservative-controlled state Supreme Court ruled …

Wisconsin GOP leader wants to change military voting
2 years ago

Wisconsin GOP leader wants to change military voting

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — The Republican leader of the Wisconsin Senate said Thursday that he is considering legislation that would change the state’s military absentee voting laws, reversing his previous position on the issue. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu’s support for taking action comes after some members of the bipartisan Wisconsin Election Commission said changes to the law could be the …

Explainer: Protections against absentee ballot fraud in Wis.
2 years, 1 month ago

Explainer: Protections against absentee ballot fraud in Wis.

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — The Nov. 8 election is drawing near, and nearly 600,000 Wisconsin voters have already cast their ballots through advance voting. Wisconsin Election Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe called the official’s alleged action a setback to public confidence, but said she has “every confidence the upcoming election will be fair and accurate.” Here are answers to some of the …

Wisconsin ballot spoiling is a no-go after court upholds ban
2 years, 1 month ago

Wisconsin ballot spoiling is a no-go after court upholds ban

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin appeals court is refusing to block a lower court’s ruling prohibiting voters who already submitted an absentee ballot from voiding it and voting again, a rarely used practice known as ballot spoiling. “Thus, claims of confusion and disenfranchisement ring hollow.” The appeals court’s ruling lifted that hold as of 3 p.m. on Friday, leading to …

Early in-person voting starts in Wisconsin amid lawsuits
2 years, 1 month ago

Early in-person voting starts in Wisconsin amid lawsuits

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — In-person early voting began Tuesday in battleground Wisconsin amid ongoing lawsuits affecting which ballots can be counted or tossed, recently ordered bans on drop boxes, and restrictions on who can return ballots. The opening of the in-person voting period marks the beginning of the final two-week push to Election Day in the swing state where both Republican …

Wisconsin judge blocks absentee ballot spoiling
2 years, 2 months ago

Wisconsin judge blocks absentee ballot spoiling

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin judge is prohibiting voters from canceling their original absentee ballot and casting a new one, siding with a conservative group created by prominent Republicans that said the practice known as ballot spoiling is illegal. The ruling Wednesday from a Waukesha County judge who was a former Republican attorney general comes as voters in the battleground …

2 lawsuits target Wisconsin policy on absentee ballots
2 years, 2 months ago

2 lawsuits target Wisconsin policy on absentee ballots

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Two lawsuits filed this week argue that Wisconsin election clerks should be allowed to accept absentee ballots that are missing portions of witness addresses, the next step in the ongoing legal battle that has pit conservatives against liberals in the battleground state. The lawsuits, filed three days apart on Tuesday and Friday, come after a judge in …

Disabled voters win in Wisconsin; legal fights elsewhere
2 years, 3 months ago

Disabled voters win in Wisconsin; legal fights elsewhere

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Trudy Le Beau has voted in every major election since she turned 18 — a half-century of civic participation that has gotten increasingly difficult as her multiple sclerosis progressed. After the Wisconsin Supreme Court outlawed ballot drop boxes in July, the state’s top election official cited a state law that said voters had to place their own …

Guidance approved for disabled Wisconsin absentee voters
2 years, 3 months ago

Guidance approved for disabled Wisconsin absentee voters

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission approved guidance Tuesday for local election clerks making clear that voters with disabilities can receive help from others when mailing or delivering absentee ballots. All three Democrats and one Republican voted in favor of the guidance, while Republican commissioner Don Millis and Robert Spindell voted against it, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. …

Judge: Disabled Wisconsin voters can get help with ballots
2 years, 3 months ago

Judge: Disabled Wisconsin voters can get help with ballots

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin voters with disabilities can get help returning their ballots, a federal judge said Wednesday, citing a federal law that trumps a recent state Supreme Court ruling and state laws that suggest otherwise. The decision did not explicitly address voter assistance for returning ballots by mail, but Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe subsequently pointed to a …

Judge poised to allow help for disabled Wisconsin voters
2 years, 3 months ago

Judge poised to allow help for disabled Wisconsin voters

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — A federal judge in Wisconsin signaled Wednesday that he will allow voters with disabilities to get help returning their ballots this fall, despite a state Supreme Court ruling that cast doubt on such assistance and state law suggesting it is not allowed. U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson said he expects to issue an order by Sept. …

Bogus ballot requests latest issue in Wisconsin elections
2 years, 4 months ago

Bogus ballot requests latest issue in Wisconsin elections

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Harry Wait was so determined to show Wisconsin’s election system is vulnerable to fraud that he logged onto the state website, requested an absentee ballot in the state Assembly speaker’s name and had it delivered to himself. No one was ultimately prosecuted and Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul called Schmaling’s demands a “disgraceful publicity stunt.” Schmaling said …

Wisconsin disabled voters file federal lawsuit over ballots
2 years, 4 months ago

Wisconsin disabled voters file federal lawsuit over ballots

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Four people in Wisconsin with disabilities have filed a lawsuit asking a federal court to ensure that they’ll be able to get help turning in their ballots, even though the conservative-controlled state Supreme Court said no one other than the voter can return absentee ballots in person. The lawsuit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Madison, …

Wisconsin official: Voters must mail own absentee ballots
2 years, 5 months ago

Wisconsin official: Voters must mail own absentee ballots

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin’s chief election administrator said Thursday that Wisconsin voters must place their own absentee ballots in the mail and can’t have someone do it for them, adding to confusion over whether elderly and disabled people would be breaking the law if they receive help. Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe’s remarks came after the state Supreme Court …

Wisconsin elections commission rejects guidance for clerks
2 years, 5 months ago

Wisconsin elections commission rejects guidance for clerks

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin’s bipartisan elections commission couldn’t agree Tuesday on what guidance, if any, to give the state’s more than 1,800 local clerks to help them understand how to implement a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling outlawing absentee ballot drop boxes. The conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court on Friday ruled 4-3 that absentee ballot drop boxes are illegal and voters must …

Judge: NC voters with disabilities can choose who help them
2 years, 5 months ago

Judge: NC voters with disabilities can choose who help them

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — A federal judge has blocked North Carolina laws that greatly restrict who can help people with disabilities request absentee ballots, fill them out and return them. A disabled person needing help to vote by mail can now seek assistance from anyone they choose, not just from a close relative or legal guardian as state law has limited, …

Wisconsin Supreme Court limits use of absentee ballot drop boxes
2 years, 5 months ago

Wisconsin Supreme Court limits use of absentee ballot drop boxes

Al Jazeera  

The decision is a defeat for Democrats in the battleground state who say the ruling makes it harder for many to vote. The Supreme Court of the US state of Wisconsin has ruled that absentee ballot drop boxes may be placed only in election offices and that no one other than the voter can return a ballot in person, in …

The Wisconsin Supreme Court says ballot drop boxes aren't allowed in the state
2 years, 5 months ago

The Wisconsin Supreme Court says ballot drop boxes aren't allowed in the state

NPR  

The Wisconsin Supreme Court says ballot drop boxes aren't allowed in the state Enlarge this image toggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images Scott Olson/Getty Images The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled that most ballot drop boxes aren't allowed in the state and that a voter can't have someone else return — in person — their completed absentee ballot on their behalf. …

Wisconsin voters with disabilities say their right to vote is at risk
2 years, 7 months ago

Wisconsin voters with disabilities say their right to vote is at risk

NPR  

Wisconsin voters with disabilities say their right to vote is at risk Enlarge this image toggle caption Darren Hauck for NPR Darren Hauck for NPR Twenty-seven years ago, Martha Chambers was injured in a horseback riding accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down. toggle caption Darren Hauck for NPR "I do feel like I'm being punished" Nationally, the …

AP FACT CHECK: Wisconsin election probe ignores some facts
2 years, 9 months ago

AP FACT CHECK: Wisconsin election probe ignores some facts

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — A former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice examining the 2020 election in battleground Wisconsin laid out his interim findings this week and recommended that legislators should consider decertifying the state’s presidential result — a move attorneys have said is illegal. The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission before the 2020 election provided guidance to local election clerks who run elections, …

Wisconsin court won’t allow drop boxes for April 5 election
2 years, 10 months ago

Wisconsin court won’t allow drop boxes for April 5 election

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court on Friday denied a request from the state elections commission to keep absentee ballot drop boxes in place through the April 5 election for local offices. But the court said the elections commission has enough time after Tuesday’s primary to communicate with local election clerks that drop boxes can’t be used in …

Wisconsin Elections Commission proceeds with absentee rule
2 years, 10 months ago

Wisconsin Elections Commission proceeds with absentee rule

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Elections Commission is moving ahead with enacting a rule that will make clear that local election officials can fill in missing information on absentee ballot envelopes submitted by voters. The bipartisan commission voted 4-2 on Monday to use its existing guidance on correcting absentee ballot envelopes when drafting an emergency rule spelling out what is …

Wisconsin judge rules against absentee ballot drop boxes
2 years, 11 months ago

Wisconsin judge rules against absentee ballot drop boxes

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin judge on Thursday sided with conservatives, ruling that absentee ballot drop boxes cannot be located anywhere other than at offices of local clerks and that no one other than the voter may return such a ballot. Republicans are also attempting to change state law to limit ballot boxes and force the bipartisan state elections commission …

Wisconsin disabled community opposes election law changes
3 years, 7 months ago

Wisconsin disabled community opposes election law changes

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin voters with disabilities urged lawmakers on Wednesday to reconsider two Republican-backed bills passed by the state Senate that would make it more difficult to cast absentee ballots as part of the broader GOP push to make it harder to vote by mail following Donald Trump’s defeat. One of the measures that the Wisconsin Senate passed on …

Wisconsin Republicans want to limit ballot drop boxes
3 years, 9 months ago

Wisconsin Republicans want to limit ballot drop boxes

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Ballot drop boxes would not be allowed anywhere other than election clerk offices in Wisconsin, and only voters — not elections officials — could fill out information on absentee envelopes, under the latest election-related bills circulated Wednesday by Republicans. Many communities across Wisconsin had multiple drop boxes to make it easier for voters to return ballots during …

Republicans propose voting changes in battleground Wisconsin
3 years, 10 months ago

Republicans propose voting changes in battleground Wisconsin

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Republican lawmakers in battleground Wisconsin have introduced a series of bills designed to make it more difficult to vote absentee, a push that comes after former President Donald Trump made unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud after his narrow loss to President Joe Biden. The bills, spearheaded by Republican state Sen. Duey Stroebel, would require absentee voters …

Republicans sue to stop Wisconsin vote certification
4 years ago

Republicans sue to stop Wisconsin vote certification

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Republicans filed a lawsuit Tuesday asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to block certification of the presidential election results even as a recount over President-elect Joe Biden’s win over President Donald Trump is ongoing. “The Wisconsin Department of Justice will ensure that Wisconsin’s presidential electors are selected based on the will of the more than 3 million Wisconsin …

Supreme Court asked to extend Wisconsin absentee voting
4 years, 2 months ago

Supreme Court asked to extend Wisconsin absentee voting

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Democrats and their allies asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to allow for absentee ballots in battleground Wisconsin that are received up to six days after the election to be counted — a move being fought by Republicans who have opposed other attempts across the country to expand voting. A federal judge in September sided with …

Court blocks Wisconsin absentee ballot extension
4 years, 2 months ago

Court blocks Wisconsin absentee ballot extension

Al Jazeera  

Democrats are likely to go to the US Supreme Court to get an extension of the election day deadline for absentee ballots. A federal appeals court on Thursday blocked a decision to extend the deadline for counting absentee ballots by six days in battleground Wisconsin, in a win for Republicans who have fought attempts to expand voting across the United …

Court: Wisconsin Republicans have standing in absentee case
4 years, 2 months ago

Court: Wisconsin Republicans have standing in absentee case

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Republican legislators have the legal standing to appeal a federal ruling extending the deadline for counting absentee ballots in the presidential battleground state of Wisconsin, the state’s conservative-leaning Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. A federal judge in Madison last month sided with the Democratic National Committee and allied groups in extending until Nov. 9 the period that absentee …

Wisconsin Supreme Court to weigh in on absentee ballot case
4 years, 2 months ago

Wisconsin Supreme Court to weigh in on absentee ballot case

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Supreme Court late Friday agreed to weigh in on whether the Republican-controlled Legislature has standing to challenge a federal court ruling that extends the period that absentee ballots can be counted until Nov. 9, giving Republicans a slight win in the critical battleground state. The appeals court ruling against the Legislature pointed to a July …

Iowa Supreme Court urged to halt absentee ballot request law
4 years, 2 months ago

Iowa Supreme Court urged to halt absentee ballot request law

Associated Press  

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The Iowa Supreme Court is being urged by Democrats and a Latino civil rights group to block a new Republican-backed law that could leave thousands of requesters without absentee ballots. Majority Forward, a group aligned with Senate Democrats, and the League of Latino United Citizens have asked the high court to put the new law on …

Judge upholds GOP law making absentee voting harder in Iowa
4 years, 2 months ago

Judge upholds GOP law making absentee voting harder in Iowa

Associated Press  

IOWA CITY, Iowa — A judge is refusing to block a new Republican-backed Iowa law that makes it harder for county officials to process absentee ballot applications and more likely that incomplete requests won’t be fulfilled. The Trump campaign and Republican Party groups have already invalidated tens of thousands of absentee ballot applications returned by voters in three counties. At …

Wisconsin Legislature appeals absentee ballot ruling
4 years, 3 months ago

Wisconsin Legislature appeals absentee ballot ruling

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature on Wednesday appealed a federal court ruling that allows for absentee ballots to be counted up to six days after the Nov. 3 presidential election in the battleground state. Wisconsin law requires absentee ballots to be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day. But Democrats argued that given challenges posed by the ongoing …

Wisconsin Supreme Court action on ballots raises questions
4 years, 3 months ago

Wisconsin Supreme Court action on ballots raises questions

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision to halt the mailing of absentee ballots raised concerns that it could cause delays and confusion in the presidential battleground state. A: The state Supreme Court ordered an immediate halt to the mailing of absentee ballots to the more-than 1 million voters who had a request on file. Voters can also choose …

Wisconsin court sets up possible delay in absentee mailing
4 years, 3 months ago

Wisconsin court sets up possible delay in absentee mailing

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — The conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a halt in the mailing of absentee ballots until it gives the go-ahead or makes any future ruling about who should be on the ballot in the critical battleground state. The ruling came in a lawsuit by Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins, who asked the state’s highest court …

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