GOP lawmakers on Monday were circulating a half-dozen proposals that would place new restrictions on how people are able to vote in Wisconsin. Most of the proposed bills put new rules in place for how voters obtain and submit absentee ballots.

These new proposals include:

  • require voters to provide proof of ID every time they seek to vote absentee;
  • force people seeking 'indefinite confinement' status to show proof from a medical professional every two years;
  • limit where voters can get an absentee ballot; and
  • provide additional paperwork for those seeking to vote early in-person.

“Today, Republicans continued their attack on voter rights and sunk further into conspiracy theories rather than admitting that Donald Trump lost in a free and fair election. The bills that were put forward today would not help any Wisconsinite cast their vote or lawfully register to vote – they are a full-on assault on our elections and the ability for Wisconsinites to vote. Along with new restrictions that would hinder the efforts of local clerks to help voters cast their ballots, these bills contain provisions that would add barriers for voters who are older or who have medical conditions and are not able to vote in person at their polling place. While this bill package purports to improve elections, all it does is restrict the ability to vote because of the Republican Party’s electoral loss.

“Audits, recounts, official canvasses, and court cases have all resoundingly concluded that our elections were safe, secure, and sound. Time and time again, Republican claims about the November 2020 election have been rejected by courts at every level because they are based on nothing more than ill will and

conspiracy theories. Just this month, Republicans elevated and repeated the same talking points that former President Trump used to incite a violent riot in the halls of the U.S. Capitol.

“When Republicans first began their sham hearings about the November 2020 election, it was clear that the real problem was not the system, but an outcome that they did not like. These bills make Republicans’ disdain for the will of the people even more obvious. We reject these anti-voter bills and call on their authors to withdraw them without delay.”

State Representative Mark Spreitzer

State Representative Lisa Subeck

State Representative Jodi Emerson

The new measures proposed by GOP would require voters to provide proof of ID every time they seek to vote absentee, force people seeking 'indefinite confinement' status to show proof from a medical professional every two years, limit where voters can get an absentee ballot, and provide additional paperwork for those seeking to vote early in-person.

Contact your state legislator and tell them you object to any changes to absentee voting in Wisconsin: 800-362-9472.

You can find your additional contact options for your state legislator at https://maps.legis.wisconsin.gov/