Election bills divide along party lines; local groups opposed to proposals
By AUSTIN MONTGOMERY Staff Writer, Beloit Daily News, Mar 21, 2021
In this Nov. 2, 2020 Beloit Daily News File Photo, voters fill out ballots at the Central Christian Church polling place in Beloit. A record of over 88% of Rock County voters cast a ballot in the general election.
Austin Montgomery/Beloit Daily News
BELOIT — A slew of election-related bills introduced by Republicans in the Wisconsin State Legislature have divided lawmakers along party lines, as community organizations in Beloit and Rock County election officials say the proposals could cause confusion and prevent people from voting.
The proposals come on the heels of one of the most contentious elections in U.S. history as voters across the country opted to vote by mail due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In Rock County, 88.9% of eligible residents cast ballots in the Nov. 2 general election, a new record for the county that surpassed the previous turnout high in November of 2012.
Wisconsin is among 33 states that have bills pending to change voter procedure or voter access.
One element contributing to the surge in voting was the massive influx of absentee voting. In Beloit, just under 8,000 absentee ballots were counted along with over 22,000 in Janesville.
Unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud in the Nov. 2, 2020 general election were believed to the cause of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The bills introduced in Wisconsin would in-part limit aspects of absentee voting, require voters to provide ID for every election and limit who receives an absentee ballot. They would also place limits on how voters can be considered indefinitely confined, a common practice used by homebound voters in the Nov. 2, 2020 election due to the pandemic. Some of the proposals are also aimed at adding more layers of security to protect state elections.
Gov. Tony Evers is “all but certain” to veto the bills, if passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature, according to reporting by the Associated Press.
Rep. Mark Spreitzer, D-Beloit, said the bills would “harm democracy and reduce access for voters in the electoral process.”
“I think this is a way to disenfranchise voters,” Spreitzer said. “We’ve seen this in the past as Republicans have put in place restrictions making it harder to vote when it comes to Voter ID laws and so on.”
Spreitzer said the bills would have a negative impact on Beloit voters, specifically those who are low income, elderly and people of color.
“I am always concerned about how election-related proposals might have a disproportionate impact on Beloit specifically due to the fact that Beloit is one of the more diverse communities in the state,” Spreitzer said.
Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton, said she supported a narrow number of bills that would boost election security and transparency in reporting of election-related data.
“The variety of bills gives the public the ability to hear robust discussions from legislators, the Wisconsin Election Commission, clerks, and stakeholder groups as they go through the legislative process,” Loudenbeck said. “Some bills will be amended or may be combined with other ideas that come forward. I’ve signed on to the bills that I believe are good ideas and will continue to review other ideas as the process continues.”
When asked to respond to the claims of voter disenfranchisement made by critics of the legislation, Loudenbeck said each bill should be considered individually “instead of making blanket inflammatory and partisan statements.”
“Some of the bills are meant to streamline the election process so clerks can more efficiently run an election; efficiency doesn’t disenfranchise voters,” Loudenbeck said.
Rock County Clerk Lisa Tollefson said she felt some of the proposals would confuse voters, noting she was “concerned” about potential voter disenfranchisement.
“I think they are going to cause confusion if they become law,” Tollefson said.
Tollefson said she was concerned about the proposed changes to the absentee voting process, along with a portion of a bill related to election observers. Under the new proposal, election staff could be monitored at no more than 3 feet away, rather than the current 8 foot designation.
“That might cause some poll workers to be intimidated and it also brings into question the potential privacy violations that come with it if someone is able to view sensitive ballot information,” Tollefson said.
Beloit NAACP President Tia Johnson said she felt the bills would make it harder for people in Beloit to have their voices heard at the ballot box.
“This is wasting our time,” Johnson said. “Even if they pass, Governor Evers will veto them and there’s no supermajority to supersede that. “What is the purpose? Why are they not getting to work doing what needs to be done when we have a health, housing and educational crisis going on, not to mention the racial crises happening. There are many other things that need to be addressed.”
Johnson took issue with the indefinitely confined voter restrictions, saying a family member falls into the indefinitely confined voter status. Indefinitely confined voters are allowed to used mail-in voting due to medical conditions.
“Now, she has the family around her to support her and make sure she can figure everything out,” Johnson said. “But there are so many elderly people who may be homebound that don’t have the same support network.”
The proposed indefinitely confined voter changes would add harsher penalties, including a felony charge and a possible prison term, for falsifying documents.
“What if there’s an accident or a mistake in filling out the necessary forms,” Johnson asked. “People make mistakes all the time. The documents are a difficult process to wade through and it’s very challenging for some voters. Where is the humanity in this?”
Beloit League of Women Voters President Susan Adams said the proposed bills would “negatively impact voters and make it more difficult” to participate in local elections.
In 2020, the league switched from hosting in-person voter registration events and went digital as the pandemic took hold.
“I would say that it would make it more complicated for voters, so I would think it’s voter suppression,” Adams said.
None of the bills have yet moved forward short of being introduced to the Legislature and none have yet been set for public hearings.
Spreitzer said the bills were “a policy roadmap” Republicans could take if they retake the governor’s office in 2022.
“This shows what they might want to do if they have power,” Spreitzer said. “That’s common for both parties to do. It essentially shows the voters what their priorities are and what might be done if given the pathway to do so.”
Voter confidence following the Nov. 2 election has caused increased scrutiny on just how local elections are executed.
“I think we are really at a dangerous point for our democracy and there’s a problem with voter confidence in our elections,” Spreitzer said. “Those concerns of illegitimacy are not rooted in reality but it is still a very big problem.”
Loudenbeck said lawmakers needed to work together to ensure voting rights for all.
“The right to vote and the right to free and fair elections are among the most precious rights we have as Americans and I hope everyone can get behind ensuring that right, regardless of their political party,” Loudenbeck said.
Tollefson added, “Partisanship is hurting the confidence in our voting process. It’s our job to make sure that people understand the process and we want to make sure everyone who can vote is able to.”