(Madison, Wis.) – VoteSafe WI announced the addition of four new coalition members today as the group continues to grow its footprint across the state highlighting the need for voting that is secure and safe during COVID-19. State Sen. Kathy Bernier (R), former Congressman Scott Klug (R), former State Sen. Gary Goyke (D), and former Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate joined the bipartisan coalition to help support the principles of VoteSafe WI.
Bernier, a former clerk, is part of VoteSafe’s emerging focus on clerks and state-level officials. These four new coalition members join Attorneys General Josh Kaul (Democratic Co-Chair) and J.B. Van Hollen (Republican Co-Chair) along with coalition members former Governor Scott McCallum (R), former Congressmen Reid Ribble (R) and Tom Petri (R), Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D), Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley (D), and State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski (D).
VoteSafe WI’s bipartisan coalition includes principled leaders who want to ensure voters have ballot access in ways all parties can agree on — accessible, secure absentee voting and safe, in-person voting sites. Wisconsinites should have choices so they can exercise their right to vote without risking their health. VoteSafe WI is part of a national network of VoteSafe coalitions that are committed to secure absentee ballots and safe polling sites, with each pursuing their goals in a way that makes sense in their respective states.
VoteSafe WI’s principles are as follows:
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Wisconsin should ensure that voters have broad access to both secure absentee ballots and safe, in-person voting sites; and
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Congress should ensure that Wisconsin has the resources necessary to protect their voters and elections.
The national VoteSafe coalition is a cross-partisan group of elections administrators and nonpartisan organizations endorsing the simple principle that every American has the right to vote safely amidst the pandemic. Its goal is to ensure the safety and security of all voters as they exercise their constitutional right. The national coalition is co-chaired by former Secretary of Homeland Security and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge (R) and former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D).
