(The Center Square) – A bipartisan group of former Wisconsin lawmakers has denounced President Donald Trump’s plans to eliminate mail-in voting and voting machines from elections.
The Democracy Defense Project – Wisconsin includes former Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, former Republican Attorney General JB Van Hollen, former Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Klug, and former Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate.
The group said that Wisconsin election laws and procedures must be decided in Wisconsin and not Washington, D.C.
“The Constitution is clear: the federal government does not administer elections at the state level,” the group said in a statement. “Just half a decade ago, Republicans in Congress vehemently opposed H.R. 1/S. 1 for many of the same reasons – that the federal government has no place in managing the individual elections of states.
“In fact, improved access to voting methods, including the electronic machines Wisconsin uses that produce paper ballots and are unable to be connected to the internet, have benefitted Republicans just as much as Democrats. Wisconsin has displayed time and time again that our elections are safe and secure, and while we can always make them more efficient, there is no tolerance for inaccuracy in our results.”
Under the U.S. Constitution’s Elections Clause, however, the president cannot change election laws or compel states to do so.
Meanwhile, Fond Du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney was named as the special prosecutor in the investigation of Wausau Mayor Doug Diny.
Diny reportedly wore a Department of Public Works jacket and hard hat and had his photo taken moving the city’s election drop box in September, before it was in use.
The drop box was later removed from Diny’s office and opened for use in front of Wausau City Hall.
Democrats have called Toney’s appointment a conflict of interest after Toney previously stated that he believed the drop boxes were illegal.
Toney has been a statewide advocate for election integrity, including pushing for the state to create a process to check its voter rolls so that noncitizens are not allowed to vote.
