Wisconsin’s gubernatorial candidates keep shuffling before next month’s primary. Now, the state Democratic party is requesting Wisconsin’s elections panel allow voters who already cast an absentee ballot to vote again.
After thousands of Wisconsinites had already submitted their absentee ballots ahead of the Aug. 11 primary, Democrats’ candidate slate shifted twice within days. Front-runner Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez ended her campaign last Friday. A day later, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley rejoined the race a week after he suspended his campaign, reentering with current Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ endorsement.
Earlier this month, the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission blocked the ability to revote if a candidate drops out after a different Democrat, Missy Hughes, exited the governor’s race in June. Because of that ruling, Rodriguez voters and people who would have backed Crowley may have lost their chance to vote for a candidate who will actually be in the running through August, the state Democratic party argues.
Over 80,000 ballots have already been submitted, but the party argues many of these votes are going to waste due to candidates dropping or reentering the race.
Trending
The commission voted 4-2 on July 9 to issue the guidance limiting voters’ ability to “spoil” their ballots and excluded circumstances like someone deciding to vote for another candidate.
Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Devin Remiker said “some voters will not be able to truly participate in our Democratic primary process” if the guidance is not reversed to allow new absentee ballots.
“Allowing voters to spoil and recast their ballots was standard practice in Wisconsin prior to attempts by Republicans to file frivolous lawsuits to muddy the waters,” Remiker said in a statement.
The state Democratic Party argues the new guidance should be rescinded because it reverses the commission’s own rule that was in place in 2022. It is also inconsistent with a 2006 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that stated voting rules should not be changed close to an election, they said.
In the past, Wisconsin voters were able to cancel submitted ballots and then request a new one up to three times, for any reason. But in October 2022, a county circuit judge ruled that this “ballot spoiling” practice was illegal. The 2nd District Court of Appeals reversed the 2022 ruling in February, finding that the lawsuit was not properly served.
Author
