Legal Fight Over Wisconsin's Spring Election Intensifies
Friday, March 27th, 2020 -- 9:19 AM
(AP) -The legal fight over how to conduct Wisconsin’s spring election intensified Thursday as the League of Women Voters filed a lawsuit looking to ease absentee voting requirements and Republicans tried to block an action seeking to move to a mail-only footing.The election, which features the state’s presidential primary, a state Supreme Court race and hundreds of local races is scheduled for April 7. Several states have postponed their primaries in an effort to protect voters and poll workers from the coronavirus, but Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has refused to take any action besides urging people to stay away from the polls and vote by absentee ballot. The governor has said delaying the election could leave local offices vacant for weeks.
Terms for most local offices expire in mid-April, just weeks after Election Day. It also appears that Evers lacks the authority to reschedule the election; according to the Legislature’s attorneys, he can’t unilaterally change state statutes establishing election dates and protocols even on an emergency footing.
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