{"id":5516,"date":"2023-09-11T13:55:10","date_gmt":"2023-09-11T13:55:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/?p=5516"},"modified":"2023-09-11T14:11:18","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T14:11:18","slug":"will-files-motion-to-protect-wi-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/?p=5516","title":{"rendered":"WILL Files Motion to Protect WI Elections"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This post originally appeared at <a href=\"https:\/\/will-law.org\/will-files-motion-to-protect-wi-elections\/\">https:\/\/will-law.org\/will-files-motion-to-protect-wi-elections\/<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"et_pb_section et_pb_section_0 et_section_regular\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_row et_pb_row_0\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_3_4 et_pb_column_0  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_0  et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\">\n<h1 style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>WILL seeks to prevent Super PAC from overturning Wisconsin election laws governing drop boxes and absentee ballot security\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>The News:<\/strong> The Wisconsin Institute for Law &amp; Liberty (WILL) has filed a <a href=\"https:\/\/will-law.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Intervention-Brief-FINAL.pdf\">motion to intervene<\/a> in a lawsuit seeking to overturn Wisconsin Election Law, on behalf of two Wisconsin voters and the Association of Mature American Citizens, Inc. (AMAC), a membership association with nearly 50,000 Wisconsin members.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">The lawsuit was brought by Priorities USA, a Left-leaning Super PAC, and seeks to undo WILL\u2019s recent win in the Wisconsin Supreme Court, where the Court held that absentee-ballot drop boxes are not authorized by Wisconsin law. The case also seeks to remove other important election security measures.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>The Quotes:<\/strong> Rick Esenberg, WILL President and General Counsel, stated, \u201cThe stakes for this case could not be higher. A far-left Super PAC from outside of Wisconsin is attempting to rewrite our laws. If they don\u2019t like the law, they need to go to the legislature. WILL has a proven track record of defending the right to vote and also the rule of law, and we plan to aggressively defend the previous ruling we secured in <em>Teigen v. WEC<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Luke Berg, WILL Deputy Counsel, added, \u201cThis case is yet another attempt by the left to use the courts to remove meaningful election-integrity protections. WILL stands ready to defend our election laws, uphold Wisconsin statutes, and deny out-of-state interference.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bob Carlstrom, WILL Client and AMAC Action President (the advocacy affiliate of AMAC), said, \u201cOn behalf of our over 2 million members nationwide and over 50,000 Wisconsin residents, we are very concerned about the efforts of the plaintiffs to dilute, weaken, and confuse Wisconsin\u2019s current absentee voting statutes\u2019 intent to protect and ensure the integrity of the votes cast by Wisconsin citizens. The integrity of elections is our foremost priority and we strongly oppose efforts such as the plaintiff\u2019s as counter to the rightful interests of the individual voter for free and fair elections and correct, not manipulated, outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>What\u2019s At Stake:<\/strong>\u00a0Priorities USA, a Left-leaning Super PAC, is bringing constitutional challenges to various absentee-ballot requirements, seeking to use the court system to eliminate them. The case challenges the requirement for absentee ballots to be witnessed by a third party, the deadline to cure mistakes on absentee ballots, the requirement that absentee ballots be returned in-person to the clerk or via the mail (which the Wisconsin Supreme Court held, in a case brought by WILL, does not allow for drop boxes), and the statutory distinction Wis. Stat. \u00a7 6.84 draws between the right to vote at the polling place and the privilege of voting by absentee ballot (Complaint \u00b6\u00b6 27-60).<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">These laws protect the integrity of Wisconsin\u2019s elections, promoting trust in the democratic process and confidence in election results. Any attempt to rewrite these laws would not only circumvent the lawmaking process in Wisconsin, but would open our state up to election fraud.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Experts in Defending Wisconsin Elections: <\/strong>WILL and its clients have a clear interest in defending the constitutionality of the challenged statutes.\u00a0WILL has been on the forefront of critical litigation efforts to protect the vote in Wisconsin as well as creating research and analysis of the 2020 Election.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><u>Teigen<\/u><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">On July 8, 2022, Wisconsin Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/will-law.org\/teigen-v-wisconsin-elections-commission\/\">held<\/a> that absentee ballot drop boxes, used widely in the 2020 election, have no statutory authorization and Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) guidance encouraging their use was unlawful.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><u>2020 Election Report:<\/u><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 2021, WILL released <a href=\"https:\/\/will-law.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2021ReviewStudy.pdf\">\u201cA Review of the 2020 Election.\u201d<\/a> Our <a href=\"https:\/\/will-law.org\/election-integrity\/\">findings<\/a>, which were praised by the <em>Wall Street Journal <\/em>as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/the-best-summary-of-the-2020-election-biden-wisconsin-trump-lawsuit-voting-rights-fraud-absentee-dropboxes-ballot-curing-big-lie-11642966744?st=pjas9v2kn1k1wjr&amp;reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink\">\u201cThe Best Summary of the 2020 Election,\u201d<\/a> criticized many election processes, including the widespread adoption of drop boxes and the abandonment of proper legal procedures.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div>\n<div><strong>Read More:\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/will-law.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Intervention-Brief-FINAL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-link-type=\"web\">Intervention Brief<\/a>, September 2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/will-law.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Notice-of-Motion-and-Motion-to-Intervene-FINAL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-link-type=\"web\">Notion of Motion and Motion to Intervene<\/a>, September 2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/will-law.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Carlstrom-Affidavit-Signed.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-link-type=\"web\">Carlstrom Affidavit<\/a>, September 2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/will-law.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Thom-Affidavit-Signed.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-link-type=\"web\">Thom Affidavit<\/a>, September 2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/will-law.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Teigen-Affidavit-Signed.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-link-type=\"web\">Teigen Affidavit<\/a>, September 2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/will-law.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Proposed-Answer-FINAL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-link-type=\"web\">Proposed Answer<\/a>, September 2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/will-law.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Proposed-Order98.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-link-type=\"web\">Proposed Order<\/a>, September 2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_4 et_pb_column_1  et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough et-last-child\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_team_member et_pb_team_member_0 clearfix  et_pb_text_align_center et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_team_member_image et-waypoint et_pb_animation_off\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"604\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Rick-Photo.jpeg\" alt=\"Rick Esenberg\" class=\"wp-image-11260\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_team_member_description\">\n<h4 class=\"et_pb_module_header\">Rick Esenberg<\/h4>\n<p class=\"et_pb_member_position\">President and General Counsel<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>rick@will-law.org<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<ul class=\"et_pb_member_social_links\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rickesenberg\" class=\"et_pb_font_icon et_pb_twitter_icon\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_team_member et_pb_team_member_1 clearfix  et_pb_text_align_center et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_team_member_image et-waypoint et_pb_animation_off\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"617\" height=\"980\" src=\"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/WILL_Luke_Color_001_WEB_980x617_100ppi_Sharpened.jpg\" alt=\"Luke Berg\" class=\"wp-image-9283\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_team_member_description\">\n<h4 class=\"et_pb_module_header\">Luke Berg<\/h4>\n<p class=\"et_pb_member_position\">Deputy Counsel<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Luke@will-law.org<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_blurb et_pb_blurb_0 et_animated et_clickable  et_pb_text_align_left  et_pb_blurb_position_top et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_blurb_content\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_main_blurb_image\"><span class=\"et_pb_image_wrap et_pb_only_image_mode_wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"617\" height=\"980\" src=\"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Nathalie-WILL-pic.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"et-waypoint et_pb_animation_top et_pb_animation_top_tablet et_pb_animation_top_phone wp-image-30894\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_blurb_container\">\n<h4 class=\"et_pb_module_header\"><span>Nathalie Burmeister<\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"et_pb_blurb_description\">\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Associate Counsel<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/will-law.org\/will-files-motion-to-protect-wi-elections\/\">WILL Files Motion to Protect WI Elections<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/will-law.org\">Wisconsin Institute for Law &amp; Liberty<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This post originally appeared at https:\/\/will-law.org\/will-files-motion-to-protect-wi-elections\/ WILL seeks to prevent Super PAC from overturning Wisconsin&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":270,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-will"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5516"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5516\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5519,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5516\/revisions\/5519"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}