Over the last year, Republican-led states caught flack from the left for passing much-needed election integrity bills. After the disaster that was the 2020 Election, many states knew something needed to change. You don’t have to be a genius to realize there were many problems with how some states handled their voting. Last-minute changes (including mail-in ballots, the use of drop boxes, and extended windows for counting votes) all amounted to confusion and chaos. Not to mention “irregularities” that many Americans believe proved voter fraud.
Georgia got the most attention for simply passing minor, but needed, election integrity bills. Democrats were so outraged that they tried to cripple the state’s economy, calling on major institutions like MLB and Hollywood to boycott. In Texas, Democrats fled the state to prevent election integrity bills from being passed. After months of hiding out, the lawmakers were forced to return home. And the bills were passed.
Now, another state is moving forward with changes to its elections. Democrats just can’t seem to win.
The first of what will likely be several new election proposals is moving forward at the Wisconsin Capitol.
Sen. Kathy Bernier, R-Chippewa Falls, along with Rep. Barbara Dittrich, R-Oconomowoc, on Monday introduced four pieces of legislation they say will close many of the loopholes used during the 2020 election in the state…
Bernier said all of the proposals come from recommendations in the Legislative Audit Bureau’s post-election audit, or the comprehensive audit from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. [Source: Just the News]
The bills seem to address serious problems that led to the doubt and confusion of the 2020 Election. One of them focuses on “pre-election” issues, including training for clerks and maintenance for both voting machines and voting rolls. Another bill addresses Election Day. It clarifies the role of a “Special Voting Deputy,” bans private resources for election administration, and bans “ballot curing”—a major point of controversy from 2020.
The third bill addresses “post-election” issues, like formal complaints and requires a post-election report. The final bill focuses on providing voting for “indefinitely confined voters,” a term manipulated during the COVID pandemic to include almost anyone. This bill returns this practice to those with physical disabilities, who will require an application to vote through the mail.
When you look over the changes Wisconsin and other states are trying to make, you have to wonder why this wasn’t the norm from the start? Why are states only now looking at these issues and trying to rectify them?
Apparently, it had to take a mess of an election like 2020 for Republicans to wake up and do something about their flawed voting systems. While these bills will go a long way in patching up Wisconsin’s elections, ongoing efforts across the country need to happen to ensure fraud is stamped out for good.
Author: Jamie Lemony