As a member of the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition, the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin supports Senate Bill 937 and urges you to sign it into law. The amended version which passed the legislature provides a needed update to the provisions in Wisconsin law for indefinitely confined voters. The bill:

  • provides a way for indefinitely confined voters to prove their identity in a manner that accommodates their disability;

  • specifies that a voter who fails to cast and return an absentee ballot in the spring or general election (current law states any election) will receive notification that they will be removed from the rolls unless they notify the clerk. Turnout among all voters is lower for primary elections, and this change will prevent indefinitely confined voters from having to reapply to maintain their status if they did not vote in a primary election.

  • expands eligibility for the indefinitely confined status to include voters of all ages who have a disability, physical illness, or frailty.

While more can and should be done to protect the voting rights of people with disabilities, this bill provides important safeguards and deserves to be signed into law.

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