A federal judge has rejected a lawsuit filed by Democrats challenging Wisconsin’s absentee voting regulations, a decision that preserves the law in advance of the upcoming presidential election.
U.S. District Court Judge James Peterson dismissed the lawsuit, citing the law’s longstanding presence since the 1960s.
The ruling maintains Wisconsin’s requirement for witness signatures on absentee ballots, citing it as a reasonable measure to deter potential abuses such as fraud and undue influence in the absence of election officials’ supervision during ballot preparation.
The lawsuit, brought by four Wisconsin voters represented by the national Democratic law firm Elias Law Group, argued that the witness signature mandate violates federal laws, including the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act.
However, Judge Peterson determined that neither law prohibits the state from implementing such requirements. The plaintiffs contended that obtaining witness signatures posed challenges due to health risks, age, and frequent overseas travel, but the judge found no evidence to suggest that federal statutes applied to the absentee voting regulations in question.
That ruling has since been appealed.
Wisconsin’s absentee ballot rules mandate the inclusion of a witness signature, with clerks required to reject ballots lacking this verification.
Despite previous rulings barring election officials from correcting missing witness information, the law remains intact.
Presently, nine states necessitate witness signatures for absentee ballots, while three states mandate notarization of absentee ballot envelopes, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The ruling underscores ongoing legal battles surrounding Wisconsin’s voting procedures, with the state Supreme Court set to hear arguments concerning another case involving absentee ballots.
This separate lawsuit, brought by Democrats, seeks to reverse a 2022 court decision restricting the placement of absentee ballot drop boxes outside election clerks’ offices.
While previous court rulings have offered temporary relief by allowing election clerks to accept absentee ballots with minor errors, the legal landscape surrounding Wisconsin’s voting laws remains complex and subject to ongoing litigation.
