Conservative groups have filed a lawsuit challenging a new law requiring individuals who collect signatures for Wisconsin elections to be eligible state voters, arguing it violates the First Amendment. 

The suit the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty filed in Waukesha County Circuit Court on behalf of the Virginia-based PAC Americans for Citizen Voting argues the law “unlawfully restrict(s) core political speech and association rights.”

The PAC’s filings Wednesday argue the residency requirement, signed into law last month, limits the pool of individuals it can hire to circulate signatures on behalf of candidates. 

The plaintiffs are asking for an order immediately blocking enforcement of the law, citing the ongoing window to circulate petitions for the November election, which opened April 15. The filing deadline is June 1.

The lawsuit against the Wisconsin Elections Commission notes a 2003 ruling from the U.S. Western District of Wisconsin struck down a prior state residency requirement for signature collectors.

“Unless this Court acts—and quickly—Plaintiff will continue to be prevented from engaging fully in First Amendment-protected conduct and will continue to suffer irreparable harm,” the brief reads.

Spokespersons for WEC and Evers did not return requests for comment. 

Americans for Citizen Voting, which says it was founded to promote election integrity, has in recent years backed constitutional amendments limiting who can vote and tightening voting requirements in Wisconsin.

According to state and federal campaign finance data, the group spent hundreds of thousands of dollars backing a constitutional amendment approved by Wisconsin voters in 2024 that barred municipalities from allowing noncitizens or younger voters to vote in local elections, as well as a successful effort last spring to enshrine voter ID requirements in the state constitution.  

During the 2023-24 campaign cycle, the group received some $700,000 from Restoration PAC, a Downers Grove, Illinois-based committee backed by Illinois businessman Richard Uihlein.

GOP lawmakers introduced the bill that became Act 126 after Assembly Speaker Robin Vos survived a pair of unsuccessful recall attempts in 2024. 

Separately, the Elections Commission referred 13 people involved in that effort to the Racine County DA for possible criminal charges for allegedly listing false addresses on their circulator certificates and for submitting signatures from people who hadn’t signed the recall petitions.

The DA referred those possible charges to a local law enforcement agency, which was still investigating the criminal referrals as of last week.