Proposals to change election laws are being made at the state and federal levels. Existing laws are being challenged in state and federal courts. How could these changes affect people of color and those with disabilities? Our panelists will address the proposed changes, recent court decisions, and the effect on voters.
The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin believes that voting is a fundamental citizen right that must be guaranteed. Wisconsin election laws should provide citizens with maximum opportunity for registration, voting at the polls, and absentee voting. Election administration should be adequately coordinated and funded to achieve statewide standards uniformly applied, verifiable results and local municipal effectiveness.
In the last Wisconsin Legislative Session, several bills were passed which would have made voting more difficult; all of those bills were vetoed by the Governor. For example, one bill would have required voters to present a photo ID each time they request an absentee ballot. Under current law, voters only have to show an ID the first time they request an absentee ballot.
There are recent decisions in federal and state courts regarding the right of disabled voters to have assistance in submitting their ballots and prohibiting election clerks from filling in missing information on witness certification envelopes that contain absentee ballots. Both decisions are on appeal.
On the federal level, bills are pending to improve election administration and strengthen provisions of the Voting Rights Act which were limited by the Supreme Court. One bill would expand voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting) and to limit removing voters from voter rolls and would require states to establish independent redistricting commissions to carry out congressional redistricting.
The U.S. Supreme Court will address election issues in its next session, including a case which could allow state legislatures to determine election outcomes.
This forum will be live-streamed online. Audience questions and thoughts will be welcome.
LWV Dane County forums are free and open to the public but registration is required to participate in the webinar.
OUR SPEAKERS
Barbara Beckert, Disability Rights Wisconsin
Barry Burden, UW Elections Research Center
Greg Jones, President, NAACP Dane County Branch #36AB
Andrea Kaminski (Moderator),LWVDC member,
