APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Reactions are rolling in from both sides of the aisle after new guidance from the Wisconsin Election Commission on voting with disabilities.
The commission says voters with disabilities can get help from others when mailing or dropping off their ballots. Republican State Representative Ron Tusler says the decision isn’t the right one.
“Everybody wants disabled voters to vote — that is definitely not an issue,” said Tusler. “The issue is always on election security.”
Under the new approved guidance, clerks don’t need to confirm a person’s disability or the identity of the voter or assistor to accept the ballot.
“In Wisconsin, we don’t know what a disabled voter is,” said Tusler. “We don’t have a definition of it. Right now, we just let people define it based on how they feel about it that way.”
Democratic State Representative Lee Snodgrass calls it a win for voting rights.
“It was a violation of the Voting Rights Act when the state Supreme Court said that somebody couldn’t return their ballot,” said Snodgrass.
The decision comes after a federal judge ruled that disabled Wisconsinites can get help returning their absentee ballots.
“When you talk about disabled voters, there are Republican voters and Democratic voters who are disabled,” said Tom Nelson, Outagamie County Executive.
Nelson says the WEC’s decision is not and shouldn’t be a partisan issue.
“Because you have Democrats, Republicans and Independents that will now have equal access to the ballot,” said Nelson.
This decision will be in effect for the midterm election on November 8.
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