{"id":8176,"date":"2024-01-09T15:41:39","date_gmt":"2024-01-09T16:41:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/?p=8176"},"modified":"2024-01-09T17:02:46","modified_gmt":"2024-01-09T17:02:46","slug":"will-wins-election-integrity-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/?p=8176","title":{"rendered":"WILL Wins Election Integrity Lawsuit"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post originally appeared at https:\/\/will-law.org\/will-wins-election-integrity-lawsuit\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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Judge strikes down Racine\u2019s use of absentee voting sites which conferred partisan advantages to one party and use of election van for in-person absentee voting\u00a0<\/strong>\u202f\u00a0<\/h1>\n

The News<\/span><\/b>: The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) <\/span>won a lawsuit<\/span><\/a> against the City Clerk of Racine and Wisconsin Elections Commission, securing election integrity in the process.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Racine County Circuit Court ruled in our favor, declaring that the City\u2019s use of a mobile voting van at particular sites around the City was illegal under state law. Specifically, the Court found that the mobile voting sites gave a partisan advantage to one political party over others and that state law did not allow the use of a van as an absentee voting site.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Quotes<\/span><\/b>: WILL Deputy Counsel, Lucas Vebber, stated \u201cWisconsin voters should know that their elections are secure, and that election administration does not favor one political party over another. This decision does just that. WILL\u2019s policy and legal expertise allow us to hold government actors accountable to the rule of law at all levels.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

WILL Research Director, Will Flanders, added, \u201cEvery citizen should have an equal opportunity to participate in the electoral process. We are grateful the Court recognized that the City of Racine broke the law. WILL is proud to provide sound research and to help ensure fair elections for all.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Background:<\/span><\/b> For the August 2022 primary, nearly two dozen sites were designated where an election van would stop by for several hours of in-person absentee voting before moving to another site over the course of two weeks prior to election day.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Racine City Clerk allowed absentee voting at both the alternate sites and at a location in City Hall. WILL argued before the Court, citing to our <\/span>analysis<\/span><\/a> prepared by WILL policy experts, that the alternate sites selected provided a political advantage to the one party over others, contrary to state law. The clerk also allowed \u201cmobile\u201d voting sites throughout the community, violating Wisconsin state law governing alternate absentee ballot sites, as voting should occur in fixed locations like buildings\u2014not in cars, vans, or buses.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That summer, WILL filed a complaint with WEC on behalf of a Racine voter requesting that the Commission require Racine to follow applicable state laws that prevent mobile voting sites and ensure that the sites selected do not grant a partisan advantage. WEC\u2019s Administrator dismissed the complaint and WILL appealed that decision to the Court in December of 2022. This Court decision reversed WEC.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is another victory under WILL\u2019s Preserving Democracy Project. To learn more, check out <\/span><\/b>preservingourdemocracy.org<\/span><\/b><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read More:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n