State Republicans File a Motion to Intervene in Lawsuit Regarding Absentee Voting Procedures

Friday, August 11th, 2023 -- 9:01 AM

(By Anya van Wagtendonk, Wisconsin Public Radio) Republicans have filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit filed late last month by Democratic groups seeking to change Wisconsin's absentee voting procedures.

According to Anya van Wagtendonk with Wisconsin Public Radio, the Elias Law Group, a Democratic law firm, filed the original lawsuit against the Wisconsin Elections Commission on July 20 on behalf of Priorities USA, a Democratic Party super PAC, as well as the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans and a Dane County resident.

The suit seeks to overturn a Wisconsin Supreme Court decision from last year that barred the use of drop boxes for absentee ballots, and a separate decision by a Waukesha County judge barring election clerks from "curing," or fixing problems on, absentee ballots.

The lawsuit also seeks to end the requirement that absentee ballots must have a witness signature on the envelope. Democrats argue these restrictions on absentee voting restricts access for everyone, but especially older people and people with disabilities.

In the new motion, filed Tuesday, the Republican National Committee, the Republican Party of Wisconsin and GOP chapters in Rock and Walworth counties seek to join as defendants with the Wisconsin Elections Commission in the Democratic-filed lawsuit.

The GOP groups argue the court cases at issue were determined correctly, and that changing voting rules this close to the 2024 election will harm the process and target Republican voters especially.

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