(The Center Square) – Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol are taking the first step to change how the state’s Elections Commission handles election complaints.
The Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections held a hearing on
the Help America Vote Act, officially known as AB 595.
The plan would stop the Wisconsin Elections Commission from dismissing election complaints when voters accuse the Elections Commission itself of
making a mistake or wrongdoing.
“If the commission receives a complaint that alleges that the commission itself is violating [the federal Help America Vote Act] and the complaint raises a substantial question of material fact, the commission must make a final determination on the merits of the complaint and issue a decision,” the legislation states. “The bill prohibits the commission from dismissing the complaint simply because the complaint alleges a commission violation.”
The legislation also requires changes to how Wisconsin handles data sharing agreements, how the Elections Commission removes ineligible voters from the state’s voter rolls, how much Wisconsin charges for its voter list and would require the Elections Commission to conduct a non- citizen voter audit.
Kyle Koenen, Policy Director at The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, said Wisconsin needs to make every change in order to restore faith in the state’s electoral system.
“In September, Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty released a report calling for a five-step audit of Wisconsin’s voter registration list to ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting in elections. The audit proposed in Assembly Bill 595 is similar to WILL’s proposal in many respects,” Koenen told lawmakers. “It will ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting, in compliance with the law.”
Koenen said being compliant with federal and state election laws should not be an option for Wisconsin’s election managers.
“[WILL] believes that regularly auditing Wisconsin’s statewide voter registration list is critical to ensuring the integrity of our elections and maintaining the public trust,’ he added.
