Evers calls for all voters to be mailed absentee ballots

After repeatedly urging voters to request absentee ballots for the April 7 election to avoid going to the polls amid the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Tony Evers today called on the Legislature to change state law so all registered voters could be mailed one.

In a video message on Twitter, Evers also called for ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted and for local election officials to be given more time to count them. 

The move comes 11 days out from the election. Evers, who has repeatedly rebuffed calls to delay the vote, didn’t call for delaying the vote in his message today.

“The bottom line is that everybody should be able to participate in our Democracy,” Evers said in the video. 

So far, four federal lawsuits have been filed seeking changes to the upcoming April 7 election due to concerns over COVID-19. That includes calls to mail ballots to all registered voters and to push back the deadline for clerks to receive and count absentee ballots. Now, those ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.

See more in today’s PM Update.

My focus has been and will continue to be ensuring everyone has the opportunity to cast their ballot in the upcoming election. That’s why today I am calling on the Legislature to act to send an absentee ballot to every registered voter in Wisconsin. pic.twitter.com/39rXpZVmfK

— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) March 27, 2020