Our right to vote is a shared and sacred right. However, far too many people have sincere concerns about our electoral system. That's why I authored and co-authored more than a dozen bills to will help restore trust and make sure our elections are handled fairly for everyone.
Here is a quick summary of the bills I introduced:
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Ballot Security Act: State law doesn’t allow for the use of dropboxes, even though many were used in the 2020 election. This bill will make sure drop boxes are a safe and secure option for voters.
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Election Observer Protections: Ensures the public has equal access when observing the election process.
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Ballot Integrity Act: Reinforces state law that says voters, not clerks should fix any errors on a ballot.
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Standardizing Absentee Ballot Requests: Requires everyone who votes absentee in Wisconsin to fill out the same form.
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Security of Returned Absentee Ballots: Clarifies that a family member, guardian, or non-candidate, unpaid designee for those without family may return completed absentee ballots for others. A designee may only return one non-family member’s ballot per election.
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Prohibiting Private Funding of Elections: Directs any non-government entity seeking to donate funds or resources for election administration to send the money to the Elections Commission, which distributes the money on a per-capita basis statewide. Absentee Ballot Uniformity: Ensures that all absentee voters who possess a photo ID present that ID to receive an absentee ballot.
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WEC Meeting Minutes Transparency: Requires the Elections Commission to publish their meeting minutes (to include votes taken and motions considered) on their state website.
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Long-term Care Facility Voter Integrity: Ensures family members know when voting occurs in long-term care facilities and nursing homes and prohibits any employee of such a facility from influencing a resident’s decision to vote or not vote.
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Indefinitely Confined Voter Reform: Requires statements of indefinite confinement to be made under oath with penalties for false statements, and clarifies that a pandemic does not grant indefinitely confined status.
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Election Commission Reform: Requires major changes in election law to be approved by the Legislature. During the 2020 election, the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) made several changes to the way the state handles elections without approval from the Legislature. My bill would improve the legislative review process of WEC guidance and promote full transparency and accountability.
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Preventing Illegal Voting: During a recent local election, someone tried to register to vote when they were asked if they were a citizen, they said “no,” and were turned away. The clerk is concerned that a less honest person would have received a ballot due to a lack of verification procedures. My bill requires non-resident driver’s licenses to indicate “Not Valid for Voting Purposes.” It also will confirm the citizenship of people on the voter registration list.
Unfortunately, none of these reforms became law. Governor Evers vetoed them or they were not passed by the State Assembly. These bills won’t create an unnecessary burden on anyone who is legally eligible to vote. Rather, they will improve the way we handle elections and help make sure everyone in the state is operating under the same rules to promote consistency and confidence in our elections. It's extremely disappointing that the Governor continues to ignore this crisis.
