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Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Tuesday vetoed four restrictive absentee ballot bills passed by the Republican Legislature.
The Democratic Governor also told two counties in the state not to comply with the Republican head of the Assembly elections committee’s subpoenas to hand over ballots and voting equipment.
Republicans do not have enough votes to override the Governor’s veto.
Governor Evers called the bills “anti-democratic” and suggested that they would make it difficult for the elderly and people with disabilities to vote.
“Since November 2020, we’ve watched Republican governors and legislators around the country work quickly to add more hurdles to voting, to discredit the good work of our election officials, and to try and cast doubt on an election just because they didn’t win,” Evers said in a statement. “They’re trying to stack the deck so they get the results they want next time, and they’re trying to make it harder for every eligible person to cast their ballot.”
Make no mistake, these bills disproportionately impact communities of color, senior citizens, and those living with disabilities. Politicians should focus on making voting more accessible for everyone, not add barriers to decrease participation.
— Tony Evers (@Tony4WI) August 10, 2021
After former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 Presidential election, he publicly declared that the election was rigged and stolen from him, prompting GOP lawmakers across the nation to push for restrictive legislation to change the way that Americans vote.
“It’s a ridiculous effort to subject our democracy to a new low,” Governor Evers said. “We held fair, free, secure election and Joe Biden is our President. People need to understand this election is over.”
The fours bills would have required elderly and disabled people to show identification to obtain an absentee ballot, block election officials from filling our missing information for voters absentee ballots, prohibited ballot collection events, and would have made it a felony for nursing home employees to encourage or discourage occupants to apply for an absentee ballot.
Republican congress members say that they want elections to be accurate, transparent, and secure and that legislation is needed for Americans to trust the voting process.
