The Green Bay clerk has agreed to expand access to observe early, in-person voting after the RNC filed a lawsuit accusing the city of inappropriately barring observers from some parts of the process.

Brown County Circuit Court Judge Marc Hammer granted an injunction today that the RNC had sought in the suit it filed yesterday.

According to the suit, Green Bay Clerk Celestine Jeffreys allowed observers in her office, where those casting ballots through early, in-person voting check in, register to vote and/or obtain a ballot. But she wasn’t allowing observers in a hallway outside her office, where voters cast their ballot after executing a witness signature and placing it in a ballot box.

“Bipartisan poll watching is a constitutional right in Wisconsin, and now the Green Bay Clerk will have to let them in the room to observe,” said RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel.

The city said in a statement it had provided an additional observation area and modifications will be made to “preserve and protect the integrity of the in-person absentee voting process while protecting voter security and freedom.” The city said it had previously received “broad requests for unrestricted access to observe every aspect of the voting process” that would’ve resulted in intrusions upon voters casting their ballots.

According to the suit, the Wisconsin Elections Commission reached out to Jeffreys after concerns were raised.

WEC spokesperson Riley Vetterkind said two staffers contacted Jeffreys on Monday after concerns were raised about the setup. Vetterkind said the call was only to make the city aware of the general concerns and staff didn’t offer any directives.

Read the suit:
https://www.wispolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/221102RNC.pdf

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