- Wisconsin law does not allow the use of mobile absentee voting sites, a judge ruled late Monday.
- Racine County Circuit Judge Eugene Gasiokiewicz sided with the Republican plaintiffs who challenged Racine's use of “voting vans” that snaked through city streets in 2022.
- “Nowhere is this court found or authorized to authorize the use of vans or cars as alternative absentee voting vehicles,” Gasiorkiewicz wrote.
A Wisconsin judge sided with Republicans who challenged Racine's use of voting vans to move around the city in 2022, ruling that state law does not allow the use of mobile absentee voting sites. was lowered.
Republicans opposed the use of the van, the only one of its kind in Wisconsin, arguing that its use violated the law, increased the potential for voter fraud and was used to boost Democratic turnout.
Racine officials, the Democratic National Committee and the Milwaukee-based voting advocacy group Black Leadership for Communities refute these claims, calling the vans legal by saying there is no specific prohibition against them. defended.
Illinois Election Commission to vote on whether Trump appears on state Republican primary ballot
The lawsuit over mobile voting cars is one of several that could affect voting rules for the upcoming presidential election in the battleground state of Wisconsin.
The van was first used in the 2022 Racine City Election. It was purchased with a grant Racine received from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a nonprofit founded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife. Republicans have called the subsidies “Zuckerbucks” and criticized them as being used to boost turnout in Democratic districts.
Racine City Clerk Tara McMenamin said the van was only used to promote early voting during the two weeks before the election. She said the vehicle was helpful because setting up equipment at remote polling stations had become too cumbersome for staff.
Voting van used by the Racine City Office. Photographed July 26, 2022 at the Dr. Martin Luther King Community Center in Racine, Wisconsin. (Ryan Patterson/Journal Times, via AP, File)
They traveled around the city, meeting with voters in their neighborhoods and collecting early voting forms.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, on behalf of Racine County Republican Party Chairman Ken Brown, filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission alleging that Bunn violated state law the day after the August 2022 primary. submitted. They claimed they were sent only to Democratic areas of the city as an illegal act to increase voter turnout.
McMenamin disputed the charges, saying they showed a misunderstanding of the city's traditionally Democratic voting district.
The Election Commission dismissed the complaint, saying there was no reasonable cause to believe there had been a violation of the law four days before the November election. This prompted the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty to file a lawsuit.
In a ruling late Monday, Racine County Circuit Court Judge Eugene Gasiokiewicz reversed the Board of Elections' dismissal of the charges, saying state election law does not allow the use of mobile voting sites.
“This court does not find, and has never been given, authority to authorize the use of vans or cars as an alternative to absentee voting,” the judge said.
He rejected the defendants' argument that the use of mobile voting sites is permissible because it is not specifically prohibited.
The judge said the ruling does not determine whether mobile voting sites are a good idea. It's up to Congress to decide, Gasiorkiewicz said.
Virginia Drops Last Remaining Charges Against D.C. Area Elections Official
The Wisconsin Elections Commission and the state Department of Justice, which represented them in the lawsuit, did not return messages seeking comment on whether the decision would be appealed. Mr McMenamin said the decision was under review and next steps would be clearer next week.
Early absentee voting for spring municipal elections in Wisconsin begins on February 6th. The presidential primary election is April 2nd, and absentee voting has been possible for two weeks prior to that date.
If appealed, the case could end up in the liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Lucas Weber, deputy general counsel at the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, praised the ruling.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Wisconsin voters need to know that their elections are secure and that election administration will not favor one political party over another,” Weber said. “This decision does just that.”
