Law to allow election clerks to process absentee ballots early up in the air - WISN Milwaukee

MADISON, Wis. —

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said there's still a chance legislation that would allow cities like Milwaukee to begin processing absentee ballots before Election Day will still receive a vote before the end of the session.

Vos said Republicans are looking at options to insert the proposal into another election bill set for a vote Thursday.

That leads to question whether Gov. Tony Evers would sign it into law.

"Depends on what bill they throw it into," Evers said Wednesday in Milwaukee. "If it's going to make it more difficult to vote, without looking at the bill, it's going to be very difficult to sign."

The State Senate approved the measure Tuesday.

The idea has previously received bipartisan support and election officials have been pushing for the change for years.

"In 2020, this would have resulted in us, I believe being finished by 10 or 11 p.m. at night, as opposed to our 3:30 in the morning finish time which has resulted in so many conspiracy theories about ballot dumps that just aren't rooted in fact," Milwaukee Election Commission executive director Claire Woodall-Vogg said.

Republican Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson has also pushed for the change.

"The state legislature must pass a law that allows Milwaukee to count those absentee ballots ahead of time," Johnson told WISN 12 earlier this month.

But the fate in the Assembly still remains uncertain.

Vos said Wednesday the fact Rep. Janel Brandtjen, chair of the Assembly elections committee, has failed to bring the bill before that committee makes its future unknown.

"Just because I support something doesn't mean I can snap my fingers and make it happen," Vos said.

The issue is facing urgency with the end of the session fast approaching.

The Assembly is set to vote on a number of election-related bills Thursday.

Ballot drop boxes not allowed in Wisconsin for April 5 election

source: https://www.wisn.com/article/wisconsin-law-to-allow-election-clerks-to-process-absentee-ballots-early-up-in-the-air/39195041

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