One thing that was very clear from the November election is that we need to restore trust in our process. We must have a consistent process whether you live in Milwaukee, or Mequon, or Marinette.
On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Elections, Election Process Reform, and Ethics approved one of my election reforms that will make sure our laws are clear and consistent.
Senate Bill 212 authored by Representative Joe Sanfelippo and I give voters notice if there is a problem with their ballot and allows them to correct it. It also helps prevent outside groups from having access to your ballot at any point in the process.
In her dissent in the Trump lawsuit case, Chief Justice Roggensack raised serious issues regarding ballot curing in our state. She noted that guidance issued by the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) directed clerks to write in missing address information. However, the statutes do not permit that and, instead, mandate that when ballots are counted, any ballots with missing witness addresses must be discarded. Without clear laws, everyone's absentee ballot is in jeopardy of not counting on election day.
Fixing problems on a ballot is a good thing. Who fixes those mistakes is also important. Until the vote is counted, the ballot should belong to the voter, not the clerk or an outside group. For too long, we have relied on guidance and not the law when it comes to curing ballots.
We saw a record level of absentee ballots cast in the last election. Since that is a trend that will likely continue, it’s important to update our statutes and make sure everyone is playing by the same rules.
Also this week, we had
a public hearing on a bill I am working on with Representative David Steffen of Green Bay, that will legalize drop boxes. That's right, election drop boxes aren't really legal. In fact, Wisconsin law does not address drop boxes at all.
Not regulating drop boxes likely leads to confusion among voters. Clerks reported receiving ballots from different communities and even from other states. The City of Fitchburg’s Public Library put a sign above its book drop to warn voters not to place ballots there. While most of the more than 500 drop boxes from the November election were already located at their city or town hall, some were located at grocery stores, in city parks, and even at the home of their local clerk.
Drop boxes are an added convenience and voters will still have the option of mailing their ballot. Having legal and standardized drop boxes will help our elections run smoothly and will also help restore confidence in our system.