In a recent ruling [1] that could shake up the election landscape, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Everett Mitchell has ordered Wisconsin election officials to provide disabled voters with electronic absentee ballots via email. The decision, which will be in effect through the November election, allows voters with disabilities such as blindness or dexterity impairments to vote electronically but requires them to return the ballots by mail or in person.
This move, opposed by Democrat Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, was prompted by a lawsuit filed by Disability Rights Wisconsin, the League of Women Voters, and four disabled individuals. The lawsuit argued that some disabled voters require assistance to fill out a ballot, infringing on their right to cast a secret vote.
While the ruling aims to make voting more accessible, critics, including Kaul’s office, have raised concerns about security risks and potential confusion just months before the general election. Republican state legislators have filed an appeal against the decision, claiming that Judge Mitchell’s ruling disrupts the election status quo.
Wisconsin’s election administration, with its decentralized structure involving numerous county and municipal clerks, faces a challenge in implementing the new absentee-ballot law. The state previously limited electronic absentee ballots to military and overseas voters, but this ruling expands access to disabled voters.
As Wisconsin prepares for the November election amid ongoing legal battles and the looming shadow of President Donald Trump’s lawsuit in the state, the Wisconsin Elections Commission has yet to comment on the ongoing litigation.
With the clock ticking and the controversy swirling, Wisconsin election officials must act swiftly to adjust to the new requirements imposed by Judge Mitchell’s ruling. The battleground state faces a critical test as it navigates this significant change in its election process.