(The Center Square) – A group of Wisconsin voters have filed a lawsuit hoping to force the Wisconsin Elections Commission to reverse its guidance and allow early absentee voters the chance to revote in the Democratic primary for governor.
The lawsuit was filed by three voters on Thursday with support from the state’s Democratic Party, according to multiple media outlets.
It asks a judge in Dane County court to reverse the commission’s guidance against spoiling returned ballots and allowing revoting and asks the court to then tell local voting centers to accept those revotes.
On Tuesday, the state’s Democratic Party said voters should be able to replace their ballots after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out of the race and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley reentered with an endorsement from Gov. Tony Evers.
The primary is set for Aug. 11.
Commission Chairman Don Millis told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that he did not intend to call a meeting about the request because he believed that state law was clear on revoting.
Board member Ann Jacobs said she believes the commission should change its mind.
“Quite simply, we should never do this to voters,” Jacobs wrote on social media. “We shouldn’t change the rules in the middle of an election. We shouldn’t tell a court one thing and the voters another. Federal courts have long recognized the importance of not doing exactly this.”
Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Devin Remiker said that too many voters are now locked into votes with which they no longer agree.
“At least 80,000 Wisconsinites have returned mail ballots and some could be locked into a vote they can’t fix,” Remiker wrote on social media. “The guidance clearly shouldn’t have been issued in the middle of our primary and WisDems will fight to ensure every voter in our primary can have their voice heard.”
