MADISON – Today, Senator Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit), Representative Lee Snodgrass (D-Appleton) and Representative Clinton Anderson (D-Beloit) introduced legislation to allow Wisconsin clerks to begin processing absentee ballots the day before Election Day. Forty-three other states permit election officials to begin processing absentee/mail ballots prior to the election including in Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Kansas.
Senator Spreitzer: “This critical legislation will give clerks the tools they need to report results quickly after polls close on Election Day. Proposals like this one have been authored by legislators of both parties because we all know that this is a secure and transparent way to speed up the tabulating process. I first introduced this legislation with now-Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu in 2019, and I hope that we can get it across the finish line this session.”
Representative Snodgrass: “The one major fix to any remaining perceptions that Wisconsin’s election results are inaccurate is to allow clerks the ability to begin to process ballots the day before Election Day. Forty-three states already allow this. We know that Republicans and Democrats alike support it. Let’s get this done and stop the political games.”
Representative Anderson: “Our bill allows for early processing of Wisconsin ballots to dispel false rumors. People want to go to bed on election day and know who won the damn election. Conspiracy theorists in the GOP are leading the effort to stop this common sense reform. If moderate Republicans want to work together to make this a bipartisan effort as it has been in prior sessions, my door is open. I trust my clerks, and I hope they do too.”
