Amendments would make voting harder for all

By Linda Bjella (President, League of Women Voters of Appleton-Fox Cities)

Voters will find two referendums on their April 2 ballot. Both concern election administration. The first amendment would prohibit any private funds to be used for elections. The second stipulates than only election officials can conduct elections.

The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin opposes both of these referendum questions. If approved by the voters, they will become a permanent part of the Wisconsin Constitution as amendments. The League’s main focus is to empower all eligible citizens to vote. Both of these proposed amendments could make voting harder, less accessible, and more expensive for taxpayers.

Many local clerks routinely apply for grants to help fund elections. Without grant money, election expenses will be completely borne by taxpayers. The wording of the amendment is unclear. Would polling places that are not in public buildings such as churches would be allowed or would that be considered an in-kind donation?

It takes thousands of poll workers, many of whom are volunteers trained by our local clerks. It is not clear from the wording of the proposed amendment who an “election official” is. Would volunteer poll workers be excluded? Election observers?

The League fears that both of these amendments may result in unintended consequences such as fewer polling places, longer voting lines, and longer delays to report results. Accessible voting is the foundation of our democracy. Vote No to both proposed ballot questions on April 2.

*Blog posts represent the views of the author, but do not necessarily reflect the views of the local, state, or national Democratic Party*