This Thursday was the deadline for Wisconsin municipal election clerks to mail out requested absentee ballots, but a state Supreme Court ruling last week halted that process. And one registration assistance group said 2020 is not the year to delay action concerning your vote. The court issued the ruling after Green Party candidates for president lobbied to get on the ballot. Charlotte Goska, co-leader for the Coalition of Voting Organizations Brown County, said the deadline doesn’t affect her group’s efforts, but there is a greater sense of urgency to help eligible voters register.
She said the biggest concern is for those who still plan to vote in person but haven’t prepared yet. “Because Wisconsin has same-day voter registration, I think a lot of people feel like registering ahead of time may not be important,” Goska explained. “But if you go to the polls on Election Day and you don’t have the right documents, you’re going to be turned away.” And this year, Wisconsin clerks are already swamped, between the pandemic and a series of legal fights. A decision is pending on the Green Party challenge.
Clerks say if the one million requested ballots have to be re-printed, they won’t be able to meet this week’s deadline. That creates a variety of concerns, especially for military members and others who will be voting from overseas. Goska said voters living stateside should focus on doing all their necessary prep-work right now. Because of the pandemic, she said volunteer groups like hers can’t do as much outreach as they’d like, but they’re still trying to help in any way they can. “Right now, we are working with the City of Green Bay, and they’ve allowed us to use a parking lot they own on the weekends, Goska said. “So, we’re there every weekend. People can drive up and get assistance without even leaving their car.”
Her group got started in 2017 after a change in state law that created an online application system and did away with special-registration deputies. Over the past few years, more voters have become aware of the online option. But Goska said many others may not be tech-savvy, or they live in marginalized communities and lack internet access.
