March 11, 2025
MADISON, Wis. – Following the decision by the Wisconsin State Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections to strike down the election observer rule proposal, All Voting is Local Action Wisconsin State Director Sam Liebert released the following statement:
“Wisconsin lawmakers have short-changed voters today by rejecting an election administrative rule that would have established clear and consistent guidelines for election officials and observers while prioritizing voters’ rights to cast a ballot privately. Having clear standards in place for observing elections is fundamental to a smooth voting process in Wisconsin and ensures full transparency by keeping election officials accountable. In a state that prides itself on running free and fair elections, there is no reason to not have a uniform way to observe elections, and implementing this rule would have been the way for us to secure these processes.”
Background
For the past two years, the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) has been working to promulgate a rule concerning election observers and making the practice more uniform in the Badger State. The commission has gathered an advisory committee made up of municipal clerks, multiple political party representatives, volunteer election observers, and representatives of organizations across the political spectrum who work with election observers. The end goal was to establish a consistent set of guidelines for election administrators while ensuring voters could still cast their ballots securely and without the fear of intimidation. The rule needed legislative approval to go into effect but was rejected.