Wisconsin Assembly passes bills regulating AI use in elections | Todd Richmond/Associated Press

Wisconsin lawmakers have passed bills focused on regulating artificial intelligence (AI) in election contexts, particularly concerning political advertising and disinformation. The legislation mandates that political candidates and groups using AI in ads must include disclaimers, aiming to enhance transparency for voters who may struggle to discern fact from fiction. These measures highlight efforts to safeguard election integrity and combat the spread of false information as the use of AI in political campaigns continues to evolve. Rerad Article

Wisconsin Elections Commission adopts partial witness address rules for absentee ballot envelopes | Mitchell Schmidt/Wisconsin State Journal

Wisconsin Elections Commission issues new guidance allowing local election officials to accept absentee ballot envelopes with partial witness address information, following a Dane County judge’s order. The decision aims to ensure that ballots with discernible witness addresses are counted, amid concerns about potential disenfranchisement due to address errors. The ruling comes after a contentious debate, with a Republican commissioner proposing additional requirements for voters, which was rejected. Meanwhile, legislative Republicans introduced a bill to tighten absentee ballot requirements, including fines and jail time for violations, in a move challenged by Democrats. Read Article

Wisconsin: Challenge to absentee ballot rules is a step closer to state Supreme Court | Scott Bauer/Associated Press

Democrats are appealing the dismissal of their lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of several voting rules in Wisconsin, including the ban on absentee ballot drop boxes, which was implemented in 2022 after criticism from former President Donald Trump. The appeal comes after a circuit judge ruled that the lawsuit did not meet the high burden required to declare the voting rules unconstitutional in every application. The lawsuit, filed by national Democratic firm the Elias Law Group, seeks to reinstate drop boxes and eliminate requirements such as a witness signing absentee ballots and correcting ballot problems by 8 p.m. on Election Day, arguing that absentee voting is a right protected by the Wisconsin Constitution. Read Article

Wisconsin: Ballot drop box disinformation and the fight over voting | Hannah Ritvo/PBS

After a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling to ban ballot drop boxes in the state, former President Donald Trump used social media to question past election results, claiming the decision includes the 2020 Presidential Election. The ruling, prompted by a lawsuit from the conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, declared that drop boxes are not allowed for use in elections as they are not defined in state law. Despite the decision not applying retroactively to prior elections where drop boxes were used, supporters of Trump who deny the 2020 election outcome have cited the ruling, contributing to disinformation about the results. Read Article

Wisconsin GOP rift over impeaching Meagan Wolfe boils over in Assembly | Molly Beck/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Divisions within Wisconsin Republican lawmakers have escalated as leaders continue to obstruct efforts by a small faction to impeach the leader of the Wisconsin Election Commission, Meagan Wolfe. Representative Janel Brandtjen attempted for the second time to bring forward a resolution for impeachment proceedings against Wolfe over false claims about the 2020 election. Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August blocked the move, describing it as a “big show for the cameras.” Read Article

Wisconsin judge rules mobile voting sites not provided for in state law but backs other early voting sites | Jessie Opoien/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A Racine County judge has ruled against the use of mobile absentee voting sites, delivering a partial victory to Republicans who contested the deployment of an absentee voting van in 2022. The van, funded by a grant from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, was accused of disproportionately targeting Democratic voting wards. The ruling does not express “an opinion regarding the efficacy of the use of mobile vans to further the popular use of in-person absentee balloting,” the judge noted. “This ruling stands for the proposition that such determinations are for the legislature to direct and cannot be a novel creation of executive branch officials.” Read Article

Wisconsin judge rules election clerks can accept absentee ballots missing parts of witness address | Jessie Opoien/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A Dane County judge in Wisconsin ruled that election clerks in the state may accept absentee ballots with incomplete witness addresses, as long as they can determine how to reach the witness from the available information. The decision came in response to a request by a Madison voter and the liberal group Rise Inc. to revise guidance provided by the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) on handling incomplete addresses. The ruling establishes a uniform standard and is expected to reduce the rejection of absentee ballots. The decision may be appealed and could reach the state Supreme Court. Read Article

Wisconsin elections commission rejects complaint against Trump fake electors for second time | Scott Bauer/Associated Press

The Wisconsin Elections Commission has unanimously rejected, for the second time, a complaint against fake presidential electors who sought to cast the state’s ballots for Donald Trump in the 2020 election. The commission initially rejected the complaint in March 2022, but a judge ordered a rehearing in May. The complaint asked the commission to investigate the fake electors’ actions and declare them in violation of the law. The commission’s closed-door discussion and unanimous vote were released on Wednesday, without providing an explanation for the decision. Read Article

Wisconsin clerks could soon process absentee ballots a day early. Why is the change happening? | Hope Karnopp/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wisconsin’s “Monday processing” bill, which would allow clerks to start processing absentee ballots one day early, has passed a Senate committee and is expected to be signed into law by Democratic Governor Tony Evers. The bipartisan-supported bill aims to prevent voter confusion and conspiracy theories resulting from late processing of large numbers of ballots. Advocates argue that the change will offer a more accurate picture of election results earlier on Tuesday night, reducing the impact of late-night “ballot dumps.” The bill is particularly relevant for communities using central locations to count absentee ballots. Read Article

Wisconsin Trump electors settle lawsuit, agree Biden won in 2020 | Patrick Marley/The Washington Post

In a civil settlement, 10 Republicans in Wisconsin who falsely claimed to be presidential electors in 2020, submitting certificates to Congress asserting that Donald Trump won the state, have agreed to withdraw their inaccurate filings, acknowledge Joe Biden won the presidency, and not serve as presidential electors in 2024 or any election where Trump is on the ballot. The settlement represents the first time pro-Trump electors have agreed to revoke their false filings and refrain from repeating their actions in future presidential elections. Read Article

Wisconsin: Republican lawmakers propose abolishing Elections Commission, giving duties to the Secretary of State | Molly Beck/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A group of Republican lawmakers is proposing to dissolve Wisconsin’s bipartisan elections commission and transfer its duties to the secretary of state’s office, currently held by Democrat Sarah Godlewski, ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The proposal requires Godlewski to take over election administration by June 30, though her actions would be subject to approval by GOP-controlled legislative committees overseeing election issues. This move is part of the Republican-controlled Legislature’s efforts to overhaul election administration in Wisconsin, with critics arguing that it is an attempt to interfere with or control election outcomes. Read Article

Wisconsin judge bans absentee ballot spoiling | Joe Kelly/Courthouse News Service

A Waukesha judge has issued a permanent injunction against the practice of “ballot spoiling,” preventing voters from canceling an absentee ballot they have already returned to cast a new one. The decision by Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel, a former Republican attorney general, supports the conservative group Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections, which filed the lawsuit against the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission. The group argued that the commission unlawfully advised clerks and the public that ballot spoiling was permitted. The judge’s decision comes amid ongoing litigation in Wisconsin over absentee voting rules, with various legal challenges from conservatives seeking to restrict certain practices. Read Article

Wisconsin Governor to sign amended bill that will allow clerks to begin processing ballots a day early | Hope Karnopp/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Governor Tony Evers is expected to sign a bill allowing clerks in Wisconsin to begin processing absentee ballots a day early, following bipartisan support in the Republican-controlled Assembly. The legislation aims to address concerns about late processing leading to voter confusion and conspiracy theories. The bill, which mandates Monday processing for central count communities (those processing all absentee ballots in one location), also includes provisions for clerks to periodically report ballot counts and for circuit courts to promptly inform the Wisconsin Elections Commission about voters deemed ineligible. Some proposed amendments, such as prohibiting early running of ballots through voting equipment, were removed in favor of increased efficiency, according to clerks. Read Article

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker assigns impeachment articles against elections chief Meagan Wolfe to committee | Molly Beck Jessie Opoien/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has referred impeachment articles against Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe to the Assembly Committee on Government Accountability and Oversight, following a campaign by a group threatening Vos with recall or primary challenges if he didn’t advance the articles. This move comes after Vos initially favored a legislative process to hire a new administrator. The ads targeting Wolfe, which falsely claim she implemented policies decided by the agency’s panel of commissioners and should be removed, were launched by the Wisconsin Election Committee, Inc., a group led by individuals with connections to past challenges against Vos and promoting false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election. Read Article

Wisconsin judge rules that GOP-controlled Senate’s vote to fire top elections official had no effect | Harm Venhuizen/Associated Press

A Dane County judge ruled that the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Senate’s vote to remove the state’s nonpartisan top elections official, Administrator Meagan Wolfe, last month was legally ineffective, and lawmakers are barred from ousting her during an ongoing lawsuit. Wolfe will continue to serve as the head of the Wisconsin Elections Commission while a decision is pending on whether elections commissioners are legally obligated to appoint someone for the Senate to confirm. This ruling comes after Senate Republicans voted in September to remove Wolfe, a move contested by Democrats and nonpartisan attorneys who argued that the Senate lacked the authority for such a vote at that time. The judge’s decision follows a change in stance by Republican legislative leaders, who now assert that their vote to fire Wolfe was merely symbolic and held no legal weight. Read Article

Wisconsin: Few Republicans have confidence in elections. It’s a long road for one group trying to change that | Christine Fernando/Associated Press

Election officials in rural Wisconsin counties like Oconto are grappling with the spread of election conspiracy theories, driven in part by false claims of a stolen election by former President Trump. Kim Pytleski, a lifelong Republican and clerk in Oconto County, has encountered skepticism about the election process, even facing the label of “Republican in Name Only” for defending it. Efforts to combat misinformation include community events and conversations, with groups like Keep Our Republic holding town hall-style forums to restore faith in elections. However, the deep partisan divide and persistent spread of false claims present significant challenges in restoring trust in the electoral process. Read Article

Wisconsin Senate Republicans signal they could remove Democrat on Elections Commission | Hope Karnopp/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wisconsin Senate Republicans are indicating they may remove Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ appointee, Joseph Czarnezki, from the state’s elections commission, just weeks after they voted to remove the commission’s administrator. The committee vote against confirming Czarnezki’s appointment was 3-2, with all Republicans opposing and all Democrats supporting him. This move comes after a focus on the commission’s decision to keep WEC administrator Meagan Wolfe in place after her term expired in June, a move that is currently being challenged in court by Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul. Czarnezki’s hearing follows the recent Senate vote to fire Wolfe, which is also under legal challenge. Read Article

Wisconsin legislation to protect election workers moves forward | Anya van Wagtendonk/Wisconsin Public Radio

A bipartisan set of voting-related bills is under consideration, with public testimony held five months ahead of the 2024 elections. The proposals aim to enhance protections for election workers, making attacks on them a felony and providing whistleblower safeguards. Additionally, a bill suggests implementing a text message notification system for absentee voters, updating them on the status of their ballots. The proposed measures come in response to increased harassment and threats against election workers, particularly after the 2020 presidential election, and aim to ensure their safety and job security. While supported by various organizations, including the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Counties Association, and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, the ACLU of Wisconsin has expressed concerns over the whistleblower protection component. Read Article

Wisconsin Republicans propose impeaching top elections official after disputed vote to fire her | CBS

A group of Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin has introduced a resolution to impeach the state’s top elections official, Meagan Wolfe, who is accused by conspiracy theorists of being part of an alleged plot to rig the 2020 election in favor of President Joe Biden. The lawmakers, who have promoted claims of election fraud, criticize Wolfe for decisions made by the bipartisan elections commission, of which she is the nonpartisan administrator. This comes after the GOP-controlled state Senate voted to oust Wolfe last week, a move Democrats argue was illegitimate. Wolfe has maintained that the allegations against her are false and that the facts have been provided for years, while various reviews have affirmed the fairness and accuracy of the 2020 election results in Wisconsin. Read Article

Wisconsin Senate Republicans fire elections chief Meagan Wolfe, setting the stage for a legal fight heading into the 2024 elections | Molly Beck/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

In a party-line vote, Senate Republicans in Wisconsin voted to remove the state’s top election official, Meagan Wolfe, from her position as the administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission. This decision has ignited a legal battle over the authority to oversee voting in the state as the 2024 presidential election approaches. The move follows lingering outrage within the GOP over the 2020 election and a baseless campaign by former President Donald Trump to undermine its legitimacy. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul has filed a lawsuit to block the removal, while Wolfe plans to stay in her position pending court decisions. Critics argue that this move is relitigating the 2020 election and may undermine faith in the electoral system. Read Article

Wisconsin enate elections committee votes against keeping elections chief Meagan Wolfe | Molly Beck/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Republicans in control of the Wisconsin state Legislature have taken a step towards removing the state’s top election official, Meagan Wolfe, in a move that has sparked a legal battle. The Senate Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections, and Consumer Protection voted 3-1 against Wolfe’s reappointment, a decision contested by Democrats and deemed legally dubious by the Democratic Attorney General and nonpartisan attorneys. The dispute stems from a failure to secure enough votes to reappoint Wolfe in June, with Democrats citing a recent Supreme Court ruling that allows appointed officers to remain in their positions until they are removed. Republican leaders, under pressure from the base over the 2020 election, continue to push for Wolfe’s removal. The full state Senate could vote on her firing as early as Thursday, though even if passed, legal challenges are expected. Read Article

Wisconsin voters caught in the middle as misinformation takes on education | Alice Herman/The Guardian

In Wisconsin, two distinct groups of activists are engaged in campaigns concerning the state’s election system. One, led by former Republican state senator Kathy Bernier, seeks to restore trust in election administration and results, while the other, North of 29, rejects the 2020 election results and spreads false claims of widespread voter fraud, advocating for a return to hand-counting ballots. The persistent misinformation regarding elections, driven by political polarization and prominent figures, has created an environment where both groups can draw in voters, leading to concerns among voting rights advocates about the trend toward hand-counting ballots based on conspiracy theories. Read Article

Wisconsin’s nonpartisan elections director has bipartisan support. She may be driven out anyway. | Zach Montellaro/Politico

Wisconsin Republicans are seeking to remove the state’s nonpartisan elections director, Meagan Wolfe, ahead of the upcoming presidential primary, raising concerns about election integrity. The state Senate is holding a hearing to remove Wolfe, with Democrats alleging that Republicans are retaliating against her for decisions made by the Wisconsin Elections Commission in 2020. This highlights the ongoing impact of election misinformation in Wisconsin, a key swing state, even years after former President Donald Trump’s false claims of a stolen election in 2020. Read Article

Wisconsin: Election conspiracists testify at disputed confirmation hearing for Elections Commission administrator | Henry Redman/Wisconsin Examiner

A Wisconsin Senate elections committee hearing on the disputed confirmation of the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) Administrator Meagan Wolfe turned into a platform for election conspiracy theories and attacks against Wolfe. Wolfe’s four-year term expired at the end of June, but the three Democratic appointees on the WEC abstained from voting on her renomination, preventing the vote from receiving the four votes traditionally required for a motion to pass the body. While the dispute is likely to be decided in court, the hearing brought prominent election deniers and conspiracy theorists to testify against Wolfe’s reappointment, with little pushback from the committee chair, Sen. Dan Knodl (R-Germantown). Read Article

Wisconsin elections administrator won’t appear before Senate committee | Anya van Wagtendonk/Wisconsin Public Radio

Wisconsin’s top election official, Meagan Wolfe, will not appear before a Senate committee hearing about her future in the job following new guidance from the state Department of Justice. This comes amid an ongoing dispute between the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission and the GOP-led Legislature over Wolfe’s future. A hearing was scheduled to discuss Wolfe’s position, which if attended, could lead to official confirmation proceedings and a potential firing. However, Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul has stated that state law does not allow for such proceedings, allowing Wolfe to remain in her post indefinitely. The situation highlights the legal ambiguity around her tenure and its implications for upcoming elections. Read Article

Wisconsin elections chief Meagan Wolfe calls her position ‘untenable’ in commission’s dispute with senators | Molly Beck/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The reappointment of Meagan Wolfe, the administrator of Wisconsin’s elections agency, has become contentious as Republican lawmakers who control the state Senate indicated they are moving forward with her reappointment, potentially resulting in the removal of a key election official ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Wolfe has faced criticism from portions of the Republican base since 2020, and the commission remains split on how to respond to Senate Republicans’ efforts to force Wolfe to undergo nomination proceedings despite a lack of nomination from commissioners. This disagreement has led to uncertainty about her future in the role, with a hearing scheduled and debates about her appearance before the Senate committee. Read Article

Wisconsin elections officials approve redesign of absentee ballot envelopes | Tyler Katzenberger/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Wisconsin Elections Commission has unanimously approved a new design for absentee ballot envelopes, aimed at making it easier for voters to read and complete the envelopes in future elections. The updated design introduces colors to the envelope scheme, moves the clerk’s initial field to the top, and introduces a numbered three-step process for voters to follow. Envelopes come in different colors based on their purpose, making it clearer for both voters and officials. The design was based on feedback from voters and local election officials, and the change is expected to reduce errors and increase the security of the voting process. The new envelopes will be used from the February 2024 spring primary onwards. Read Article

Wisconsin: Fighting election denial one community at a time | Henry Redman/Wisconsin Examiner

Former Republican state Sen. Kathy Bernier and Keep Our Republic, a nonprofit organization, held an event at the Chippewa County Courthouse to restore voters’ trust in Wisconsin’s election systems and counter election misinformation. The event aimed to provide accurate information about the state’s election administration to community leaders and local election officials, so they can respond accurately to voter concerns and questions. Bernier, who has been pushing back against 2020 election conspiracies, hopes that by providing facts and information about the election system, it will help address concerns about election integrity and misinformation that have arisen since the 2020 election. Read Article

How a Wisconsin official became ‘a scapegoat’ for voter fraud falsehoods | Alice Herman/The Guardian

The future of Meagan Wolfe, Wisconsin’s top election administrator, is uncertain as her reappointment has turned into a political showdown with Republicans in the state. Wolfe, a respected and experienced elections official, has been targeted by right-wing conspiracy theories about her role in the 2020 election. False claims that the election was stolen have been pointed at the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC), with Wolfe being blamed as a conspirator to deliver the presidency to Democrats. Her reappointment has become a contentious issue, with right-wing activists and public figures opposing it, leading to concerns about the continued distrust in Wisconsin’s elections as the state approaches another presidential election year. Despite her record of successfully running clean elections during a difficult time in 2020, the attacks on Wolfe persist, and the situation has become a worrying trend for elections experts. Read Article

Wisconsin’s Election Office In Limbo After GOP Tries To Force Out Its Director | Cameron Joseph/Bolts

The job of Wisconsin’s top election official, Meagan Wolfe, is in jeopardy due to a conspiracy-fueled attempt by Republicans to remove her from office. She is widely respected for her nonpartisan management of the Wisconsin Election Commission, but right-wing conspiracy theorists and Republican lawmakers have targeted her, spreading false claims about the 2020 election and blaming her. With her term expiration in July, Democrats blocked a procedural step to confirm her for another term, leaving the situation unstable. The state’s readiness for the 2024 elections could be compromised, and the case will likely be decided in the state supreme court, adding more uncertainty to the process. Read Article