Republicans focus on private funds in joint hearing on election proposals
MADISON – Private grants to help local governments with the costs of elections, long scrutinized by Republicans and those who have questioned the 2020 election, were again the focus of a joint meeting of the Assembly and Senate elections committees Tuesday.
Lawmakers discussed one measure that reflects Republicans' past scrutiny of $8.8 million in private grants mostly allotted to the state's five largest cities — Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Racine and Kenosha — to help them administer elections safely during the 2020 election, which was overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cities used the funding to purchase ballot drop boxes, mail information about voting to the public and provide PPE to poll workers and pay them higher wages, for example. Courts have rejected lawsuits over the grants and affirmed President Joe Biden's win in Wisconsin. Bipartisan members of the Wisconsin Elections Commission also threw out challenges to the grants.
Republicans questioned the grants from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, which were financed by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife and went to cities that are concentrated with Democratic voters. Twenty-four states have prohibited, limited or regulated the use of private funds for elections administration, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
"I think elections are a necessary expense, and as a taxpayer, I'm OK with spending more money through my local municipalities on elections to make sure that these private dollars aren't part of the equation," said Rep. Tyler August, R-Lake Geneva, an author of the proposal.
Republicans noted municipalities just received an influx in shared revenue funding that could help them with elections administration, and the Legislature's finance committee could consider motions to help municipalities meet costs.
Sen. Mark Spreitzer, D-Beloit, said funding also went to about 200 other municipalities, even if the bulk of the money went to the five largest cities. He said the finance committee rejected funding for electronic poll books during the budget process.
"I think we know that the shared revenue increase is not going to last forever, and you've got to give them room to go somewhere," Spreitzer said. "If the state isn't going to give grants for needed equipment, they're going to go out and seek private grants. And you're looking to close off both avenues of funding."
A bipartisan bill would help counties and municipalities with the costs of special elections for open Assembly and Senate seats, for example, which can come as a surprise and strain local governments. That bill already passed the Senate with only one vote against and could get a full Assembly vote soon.
"I've never had one municipal clerk come to me and say, 'We don't have enough money to run our elections,'" said Sen. Romaine Quinn, R-Cameron. Spreitzer responded that he has heard from clerks and asked them to contact their legislators.
Many changes would require approval from voters
Other measures that would clarify requirements for voting require changing the state constitution, which means the proposals would go to voters to approve before they are enacted.
Two of the constitutional amendments have already been passed by the Legislature in a past session, a requirement before they reach voters' ballots. If passed again by both houses, the questions could appear on ballots as early as the April or November 2024 elections.
Those include the measure that would restrict private grants and an amendment that would clarify that only U.S. citizens are eligible to vote in Wisconsin. Currently, the state constitution is written to allow "every U.S. citizen" 18 and older to vote.
Another bill would require the state Department of Transportation to give WEC access to databases and verify that voters are U.S. citizens as soon as possible. It would also require licenses or identification issued by DOT to non-citizens to indicate the cards cannot be used for voting.
Sen. Dan Knodl, R-Germantown, said the Mequon clerk informed the authors she observed a voter, who acknowledged he was not a citizen, attempt to vote in-person absentee using a valid driver's license. He also referenced the case of a Ukrainian woman who was charged in Ozaukee County this month after voting in a school board election.
That bill does not require voter support but could be rejected by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who has said he would veto legislation that makes it harder to vote.
While some states and cities have moved to allow non-citizens to vote in local elections, Wisconsin's municipalities are prevented from doing so because state statutes that limit voting in local elections to citizens.
Republicans want to prevent a liberal Supreme Court majority from striking down ID laws
Another measure, which would enshrine state voter identification laws in the constitution, would have to pass the Legislature next session before it goes to voters for approval. The measure would not prevent new exceptions or change the ability of voters who arrive without an ID to cast a provisional ballot.
Republicans cited a lawsuit filed before the state Supreme Court's new liberal majority that challenges restrictions on absentee voting and drop boxes but does not target voter ID laws. Republicans added if Democrats gain a majority in the Legislature, repealing voter ID laws "would probably be the first of a tidal wave of things" they would reverse.
"I cannot say for certain how the Wisconsin Supreme Court would rule on voter ID laws, but I'm also not willing to risk the Wisconsin Supreme Court declaring voter ID laws unconstitutional," said Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine. "The only way to ensure it will not happen is to enshrine this basic election integrity law in Wisconsin's constitution."
Lawmakers acknowledged that checking identification to vote could look different in the future, such as using biometrics like a fingerprint. Spreitzer said that possibility "seems like a really good reason to not put this language into the constitution."
Other bipartisan measures moving through Legislature
While the two committees took up measures Tuesday that lack support from Democrats, the theme of a hearing in the Assembly-side committee last week was working across the aisle.
Rep. Lee Snodgrass, D-Appleton, and Rep. Donna Rozar, R-Marshfield, testified together on a bipartisan bill that would eliminate the requirement that poll list numbers be placed on the back of absentee ballots, something clerks asked for in an informational hearing earlier this fall.
Committee chair Rep. Scott Krug, R-Nekoosa, referenced Rozar being "verbally accosted" on social media by a fellow Republican for working with a Democrat on elections legislation.
"People are afraid to write bills that are going to make things better," Krug said. "Don't be intimidated. That is exactly what we're here for."
Krug also included bills introduced by Democrats in the hearing, a rare move for Republicans who control committees. Those include requiring state lawmakers to gain poll working experience and allow 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote.
Some bipartisan bills could get to the floor as early as mid-November, Krug said. Those include fixing an impossible deadline for clerks to send absentee ballots and sending voters text alerts about when their absentee application.
Bipartisan lawmakers also agree that clerks should be allowed to begin processing absentee ballots on the Monday before Election Day, though a bill that includes that change alongside others has not been moving as quickly.
Election officials say early processing would prevent voter confusion that results from large swaths of ballots being added to the returns late, sometimes changing which candidate is in the lead.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Private funds return as the focus of joint elections hearing
