WISCONSIN – This week, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ran a piece coauthored by the entire Democracy Defense Project – Wisconsin (DDP-WI) board making clear that calls to nationalize elections are not only unconstitutional, but would in fact make our elections more complex and less safe. 

See the full piece HERE and excerpts below.

Former WI Attorney General JB Van Hollen, Former Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Former U.S. Rep. Scott Klug and Former Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate joined to coauthor the piece that emphasizes Wisconsin’s decentralized elections. Asking the federal government to assume the roles of thosuands of municipal clerks across the state would create more chaos than it would solve problems. 

Excerpts from the opinion piece:
“Wisconsin elections should be run by the citizens of Wisconsin, not bureaucrats in Washington who have no stake in our communities, our values or what makes our state unique. We are no stranger to close elections, over multiple election cycles we have repeatedly elected both Republicans and Democrats statewide. And Wisconsin has voted for the eventual presidential winner in every election since 2008…

“Wisconsin’s elections are among the most decentralized in the nation. With thousands of units of local government, more than 1,800 municipal clerks and 72 counties, our state has deliberately built a system that keeps election administration close to home. This ensures local leaders, your neighbors and members of your community, are the ones making sure your ballot is counted, protected and secure.

That isn’t a weakness. It is a strength…

“Wisconsin’s elections are free, fair and secure and they are resilient against outside interference. But we cannot be complacent. The only way to ensure our elections remain secure is to build on our successes and rebuild the trust that has been damaged by years of misinformation and political cynicism.”

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