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MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin voters will decide next month whether it is unconstitutional to accept private subsidies to help administer the state’s elections. This is one of two Republican-backed voting measures that Democrats say are designed to make it harder to conduct elections. in presidential battleground states.
The proposed constitutional amendment on the state’s April 2nd ballot also includes changes that would allow only legally designated election officials to administer elections. If approved by a majority of voters, the amendment would be added to the state constitution.
Early absentee voting is scheduled to begin Tuesday and will be accepted through March 31st.
Since 2020, Republicans in at least 27 states have outlawed or restricted private campaign subsidies.
The Wisconsin bill is supported by Republicans and conservative groups, but opposed by an array of government watchdog groups and liberal groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Common Cause Wisconsin, Conservative Voters of Wisconsin, and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin. .
No Democrats voted for the amendment, which is split into two questions on the April ballot.
Wisconsin’s action stems from false claims by former President Donald Trump and his allies that widespread voter fraud tipped the 2020 presidential election in favor of President Joe Biden.
“The public needs to trust that elections will be conducted fairly and equitably,” state Sen. Eric Winberger, a co-author of the amendment, said in a message posted to X, formerly Twitter. Ta. “Wisconsin is a swing state, making election integrity measures important locally, nationally, and internationally.”
Opponents say the measures are aimed at making it more difficult to hold elections.
The amendment is particularly important for liberal groups fighting for voter access in 2020, and for liberal groups funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan. -Addressing Republican complaints about 2020 grants to Wisconsin from the Center for Civic Life.
The state’s five largest cities, all won by Biden, received $8.8 million. They received about $10 million as part of $350 million distributed nationwide to help with election administration costs during the COVID-19 pandemic before a vaccine was available. It was one of about 200 communities in the state.
Republicans, who dubbed the money “Zuckerbucks,” complained that much of the money went to Democratic strongholds, calling it an attempt by billionaires to tilt votes in their favor.
“To maintain fairness and protect the integrity of the democratic process, we need a bipartisan system free from outside financial influence,” said Kyle Coenen, policy director at the conservative law firm Wisconsin Law and Liberty Institute. It is essential that we maintain our electoral system.” He testified in support of this measure.
Zuckerberg and Chan have repeatedly said the one-time donation is aimed at strengthening election infrastructure to help people vote in the midst of the pandemic.
Republicans, who control the Legislature, have introduced a constitutional amendment in Wisconsin aimed at circumventing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who would almost certainly have vetoed the bill if it were a regular bill. Probably. The amendment does not require the governor’s approval.
Three courts and the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission rejected challenges to the legality of the grants.
Another question on the ballot, about who can be a poll worker, was separated from the question of private money.
Wisconsin law already outlines the requirements for becoming a poll worker. These are people who work as election pollsters and tabulators, greet voters, and perform other roles. For example, poll workers must be approved by the municipality from a list of candidates submitted by the two major political parties, must be voters in the county where the election is held, and must be a candidate for the election or affiliated with the candidate. It won’t. Ballot paper.
It is unclear how the adoption of the amendment would change current practices, other than incorporating requirements in current state law into the Constitution. This makes changing requirements even more difficult.
Opponents of the amendment are concerned that its adoption would lead to an attempt to suppress current practices that encourage voter participation.
Wisconsin voters have approved 148 of the 200 constitutional amendments since the state constitution was adopted in 1848, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau. Voters have approved three proposals since Mr. Evers took office.
But after two votes were cast on the April ballot, more are expected.
In the August primary, voters will be asked to change the law to give Congress a say in how federal money is spent, rather than leaving it up to the governor.
The November ballot amendment would require only U.S. citizens 18 and older to vote in elections. The Wisconsin Constitution guarantees that all U.S. citizens over the age of 18 are eligible to vote. However, it does not explicitly state that only U.S. citizens are eligible to vote in state or local elections.
Federal law already requires U.S. citizenship to vote in national elections, and no state constitution explicitly allows noncitizens to vote in state or local elections.
But there are also calls for states to clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote in state and local elections. Some cities and towns across the country allow noncitizens to vote in local elections.
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