August 10, 2021
by Matthew Rothschild, Executive Director
Gov. Tony Evers deserves our thanks for vetoing six of the anti-voting bills that the Republican-dominated legislature rammed through.
At a press conference Tuesday morning, Evers said the bills “attack the heart of our democratic process.” He added:
“Make no mistake, these bills disproportionately impact communities of color, senior citizens, and those living with disabilities. Politicians should focus on making voting more accessible for everyone, not add barriers to decrease participation.”
Among other things, the bills would have made it harder for people who are in nursing homes or residential care facilities to vote by absentee ballot. For instance, they would have had to submit a photo ID; they would have been limited in finding someone to return their absentee ballots for them; and the nursing home or care facility would have been required to contact their immediate family members when they were voting, which is grossly paternalistic and an invasion of their privacy.
In addition, any clerk who corrected even the most minor defects on the absentee ballot (such as the witness forgetting to put in the zip code) could have faced prosecution for a felony.
Evers, at the press conference, turned the microphone over to Jennifer Neugart of the Disability Vote Coalition, which did such an admirable job in galvanizing opposition to these bills.
“These bad voting bills would significantly restrict the ability of voters with disabilities, older adults, and many other Wisconsin voters from participating in the voting process,” said Neugart. “ We shouldn’t have to fight to have equal and easy access to the fundamental right to vote that gives us all a say in our government. Voting rights are the cornerstone of our democracy. Adding more administrative hurdles and penalties for voters or people trying to help voters is not fair or wise.”
Evers was forceful in his defense of democracy in Wisconsin. He noted that Wisconsin in recent years has been “used as a petri dish for Republican plans to undermine democracy,” but those days are over, he said. “Not anymore,” he said. “Not as long as I’m governor of the great state of Wisconsin.”