We've known this bill was coming, and now here it is: a proposal by Wisconsin Republicans to cap the hours for early voting and end weekend voting altogether. Wisconsin Assembly Bill 54 got introduced and moved to committee on Friday. From the summary:
Under current law, a person may apply to the municipal clerk in person to vote using an absentee ballot. In-person applications to vote using an absentee ballot may be made beginning on the third Monday preceding the election and ending on the later of 5 p.m. or the close of business on the Friday preceding the election. Under this bill, in-person applications to vote using an absentee ballot may only be received Monday to Friday between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day. In addition, the clerk's office may not be open more than 40 hours a week beginning on the third Monday preceding the election and ending on 5 p.m. on the Friday preceding the election in order to receive applications made in person. The bill does not require that the clerk's office be open 40 hours a week to receive applications made in person.
Shorter: no more nights and weekends for early voting. In November, voters in Milwaukee County got to vote from 8:30 AM to 7 PM on weekdays, and from 9 AM to 5 PM on Saturday and Sunday. The number of days and weekends had been cut in half by Republicans in 2011, but even so Milwaukee managed turnout of 87 percent. Since that election, Wisconsin Republicans have proposed ending same-day registration for ordinary voters.
H/t Wisconsin Soap Box and @triumph68.
(Image: The first day of early voting for president in Milwaukee/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.)
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Any party trying to modify voter turnout is doomed to eventual extinction. What honest folks need to do is fight and amplify every attempt at this, make them own all of it.
I think shortening our chance to vote is horrible!! What kind of people are trying to run our country--not good ones the way it looks!! I will NOT vote for anyone who is behind this!! I hope all who are opposed to this kind of "crap" will let their representatives know their positions!!
I live in Milwaukee. The writing has been on the wall here since these schemes started appearing in the wake of November's results. The simple facts are these: Wisconsin's system for registration and voting worked. Almost perfectly. Fraud is virtually unheard of, and when it is brought up, is so far beyond being statistically significant as to be laughable. Everyone gets to cast a ballot, every vote counts. Hell, this year some of our more interesting counties from past elections (Republican Waukesha county, for example) which had been the site of major electoral screw ups, had little to no trouble.
But of course, that's why the state legislature feels the need to change the system. It worked. And their Republican party didn't win. Their solution could be better candidates, or a good hard look at their policy positions. But they can't be bothered to put in that good reflection and self-analysis. No, so very much easier just to break the system, undermine the basic principles of our Republic, and steal control from the people they claim they wish to represent.
After seeing the results of "voter suppression' in the last election, I suspect that greater turnout will be the norm.
"Stand in line for ten hours? HAH! We will do it on our heads!"
Yeah, you know that you're bereft of ideas and policy when you must stoop to cheating to get your way.
VOTE OUT THE GOTP from everywhere in 2014 and beyond!!
You're right. What the GOP is saying is that their ideas are unpopular and that they will lose an honest election with high voter turnout. Therefore, they have to stoop to these kinds of tactics to win.
What a statement about their policies and their belief in democracy.
With voting being a constitutional right why do we have to prove that we should be allowed to vote. Shouldnt it be up to someone to prove that we shouldnt be allowed?
It's a sad time to be a resident of Wisconsin....Walker and the Republicans only believe in helping their rich buddies...
Same here Ifor1, What we need to keep an eye on is the following Race of Roggensack / Fallone for State Supreme Court. Very important. We know all about the attempt of the Voter ID issue, So that is why this race is very important, Roggensack and Walker are pretty Tight. And in regards to His rich buddies have you read this: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/fine-print-in-scott-walker-s-tax-proposals-draws-criticism/article_2fd26c34-82ce-11e2-8ad3-0019bb2963f4.html
Wisconsin reflects the problem facing most other states; Republicans in rural areas, Dems in urban areas with independent voters in the suburbs. Dems need to concentrate on taking back state legislatures and reversing Republican policies of trying to load the dice for elections. The suburbs are the big battleground for politics since those are the swing voters that can win elections. If these suburban areas continue to trend Dem, Republicans are going to do whatever they can to dilute the suburban vote.
The Federal government should institute basic voting standards to be followed in all national elections. If the State refuses to follow them their results will be put aside until they can run an election according to Federal voting standards.
These standards should include hours and places for voting that meet the requirements of our country's diverse population.
Those with no basic human decency irritate me.
The Dems must take back the state governments including the State Sec. of State, who is in charge of elections.
It makes me glad to live in Colorado where we have a really good vote by mail system. Once you select the option of voting by mail in all elections, you automatically receive a mail in ballot in all elections. The only thing you have to do to keep on the vote by mail list is to vote regularly. And it is especially beneficial for local elections that can so easily be over looked, like school board elections and bond elections and primaries.
Oregon has had vote by mail since 1999. It ends these problems with long lines of voters. Republicans can't manipulate the hours the polls are open, the number of voting machines, or the type of ID shown at the polls.
This is the digital age, for gawd's sake. Let's at least move into the last part of the 20th century.
Yep, that's right. Just keep making voting harder and harder. What's next, moving all the polling places to the North pole?!
America was always know as Land of the free home of the brave. Fought to free us all and now the money flying around politicians are taking that freedom away. Thank god we are still home of the brave but if people don't stand up for their rights even that will disappear.
The republicans seem to forget one very basic fact. This country is getting bigger and we need more time to vote so that everyone can satisfy that right. Basic psychology says when you try to take something away, people want it even more. That might be the thing that will bring them down.
I feel that they should have weekend voting and do away with Tuesday voting. Most people work if they are lucky and weekends would be better but then the republican party wants to abolish voting all together. It is because they cannot not win unless they make it harder to vote or cheat. We proved the last election that they could not buy the election now we have to stand up and make noise so they can't do this either.
What will the republicans try next to end all voting ?
What we really need to do is remove the Electoral Colleges, as well as district voting. Base everything off the population vote, which is so simple to count with today's computers we do it anyway even though it currently has no actual weight in elections. If we want the power back, the real power back, we need to make sure everyone gets one equal vote.
This, this mess that Wisconsin is creating is just asking for new trouble.
Rich republicans want to fix the system so that only republicans win elections.
Any politician who proposes this kind of legislation, any judge or Secretary of State (I'm talking to you Jon Husted of Ohio) who tries to impose these kinds of limits should be promptly arrested and charged with attempt to obstruct voters rights. Simple as that.
It's time to stop playing with these people and let them know that their attempts aren't the way we operate in this country.
No matter our state, we each must help fight voter suppression. Please look up the Democratic Party for Wisconsin and write them a note of encouragement to fight this. Write the Republican Party for Wisconsin to tell them 'shame'.
And TRMS please keep covering the voter ID, voter repression/suppression stories. Thank you.