[Brookfield…] Bill McCoshen, Policy Advisory Board Chair for Common Sense Wisconsin, issued the following statement regarding polling data released earlier today by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty.
“I believe it is common sense that ballots should be treated and tabulated in the same manner no matter in what county they are cast. We should amend the Wisconsin Constitution to ensure that such protections are guaranteed.”
McCoshen and Common Sense Wisconsin have proposed a constitutional amendment requiring uniformity in elections administration, noting that Governor Evers cannot veto a constitutional amendment approved by the voters.
BACKGROUND
A poll commissioned by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) showed strong bipartisan support for a series of election reforms that would provide new safeguards and ensure uniform practices across the state.
According to WILL:
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87% of voters favor a requirement for every election clerk to use the same standards for correcting errors on absentee ballots – a practice known as ballot curing
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84% of Wisconsin voters support the current law requiring everyone to show photo ID before casting a ballot.
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96% GOP voters, 70% Dem voters, and 81% Ind voters support.
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Supported by strong majorities of every education level.
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76% favor making in-person absentee voting hours the same everywhere across the state.
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69% of voters favor a uniform statewide requirement for people voting by mail to provide a copy of a photo ID with their ballot.
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86% GOP voters, 52% Dem voters, and 65% Ind voters support.
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Common Sense Wisconsin is encouraging every county in the state to place this advisory referendum on the ballot the next time there will be significant voter turnout across the state, which will be the November 2022 election.
PROPOSED FALL 2022 ADVISORY REFERENDUM
Question: Should the Wisconsin Legislature prepare and place on the statewide ballot a Constitutional Amendment requiring that election administration, access to ballots, and counting of ballots be as nearly uniform as practicable?
“Voters and votes must be treated the same whether they are in Superior or South Milwaukee, Madison or Minocqua,” said McCoshen. “Ballots should be processed and counted in a uniform manner everywhere in the state. Election rules cannot be changed by rogue officials or bureaucrats at the last moment and the funding and administration of elections cannot ever again be turned over to private organizations.”
Wisconsin currently has specific constitutional protections of uniformity in taxation, in certain forms of local government, and in the enactment of general laws by the legislature, but nothing on what is perhaps the most fundamental right of all, the right to vote.
“Nobody should fear what the people have to say on this issue,” said McCoshen. “Based on what I’ve heard from all across the state, and now based on this polling, I believe there is widespread support for placing these election protections in our Constitution–let’s find out.”
The 72-County Common Sense Wisconsin Uniformity Referenda would provide momentum toward a Constitutional amendment. In order to amend the state constitution, a majority of members in both houses of the state legislature must vote in favor of the amendment in two consecutive sessions. Once the amendment passes the legislature twice, it must be approved in a vote by the voters at the next general election.
CLICK HERE FOR THE CSW BRIEFING PAPER
