% ♪
% >>> A WISCONSIN PRIMARY ELECTION
% IS LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY.
% AND THE AGENCY TASKED WITH
% MAKING ELECTIONS GO IN THIS
% STATE IS BUSILY TRYING TO
% INTERPRET COURT RULINGS AND
% OTHER GUIDANCE.
% THE WISCONSIN ELECTIONS
% COMMISSION REMAINS IN THE EYE OF
% THE ELECTION FRAUD STORM, AS ALL
% THREE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES FOR
% GOVERNOR SUPPORT GETTING RID OF
% THE COMMISSION FOLLOWING ITS
% ELECTION GUIDANCE DURING THE
% PEAK OF THE PANDEMIC.
% ENTER NEW WISCONSIN ELECTIONS
% COMMISSION CHAIR REPUBLICAN DON
% MILLIS.
% HE JOINS US NOW AND THANKS VERY
% MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
% >> MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE.
% >> SO WHAT IS IT LIKE TO ENTER
% AS THE NEW CHAIR WHEN PEOPLE IN
% YOUR OWN PARTY WANT TO DO AWAY
% WITH IT?
% >> THERE'S A LOT OF CATCHING UP
% TO DO.
% WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE BEST OF
% WHAT WE HAVE.
% WHETHER OR NOT THE COMMISSION
% GOES AWAY IS CERTAINLY A
% CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE.
% THERE ARE FOLKS WHO WANT TO GET
% RID OF THE COMMISSION, THERE ARE
% OTHERS WANT TO KEEP IT.
% WHEN IT STAYS OR GOES IS BEYOND
% MY PAY GREAT.
% MY ROLE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT --
% PAYGRADE.
% MY ROLE IS TO MAKE SURE WE RUN
% AN EFFICIENT AND HONEST ELECTION
% IN AUGUST AND IN GENERAL.
% THAT'S -- THAT'S REALLY ALL I
% CAN DO.
% I CAN'T LOOK BEYOND THAT.
% >> SO WHAT DO YOU THINK, THOUGH?
% WHAT IS YOUR POSITION ON THE
% IDEA OF ABOLISHING THE ELECTIONS
% COMMISSION?
% >> WELL, I DON'T HAVE -- I
% REALLY DON'T HAVE A -- I HAVEN'T
% GIVEN IT MUCH THOUGHT.
% I DO THINK, AND I WAS ON THE
% RECORD IN 2016 WHEN I WAS FIRST
% APPOINTED WHEN THE COMMISSION
% WAS CREATED, THAT THE ELECTIONS
% COMMISSION WAS A SERIOUS UPGRADE
% OVER THE GOVERNMENT
% ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD.
% I ALSO SERVED ON THE PRIOR
% AGENCY.
% SO MY BIGGEST CONCERN ABOUT THE
% COMMISSION IS THAT WE SEEM TO BE
% DEADLOCKED ON ALL THE
% IMPORTANT -- IMPORTANT ISSUES OF
% THE DAY.
% AND MY WARNING TO OTHER
% COMMISSIONERS IS IF THERE'S A
% CHANCE TO KEEP THE COMMISSION,
% WE BETTER START WORKING
% TOGETHER.%>> IN FACT, JUST T
HIS WEEK, THIS
% ISSUE THAT YOU SPEAK TO OF THE
% DEADLOCK BECAUSE THERE ARE THREE
% DEMOCRATS AND THREE REPUBLICANS
% ON THE COMMISSION, YOU END UP
% WITH A DEADLOCK.
% NOW, REPUBLICANS LIKE YOURSELF
% WANTED TO OFFER GUIDANCE TO
% CLERKS AFTER THE SUPREME COURT
% RULED ABSENTEE BALLOT DROP BOXES
% ARE ILLEGAL.
% DEMS SAID THAT GUIDANCE WOULD
% CONFUSE CLERKS MORE THAN HELP.
% WHAT ABOUT THESE DEAD LOCKETS
% ON -- DEBT LOCKS ON THE
% COMMISSION?
% DOES THAT RENDER IT INEFFECTIVE
% IN YOUR MIND?
% >> IT DOES.
% I THOUGHT IT WAS OUTRAGEOUS THAT
% THE COMMISSION COULDN'T AGREE TO
% ISSUE A STAFF -- THESE ARE
% CAREER CIVIL SERVICE STAFF WHO
% TRIED TO DISPEL 141-PAGE
% DECISION WITH TWO CONCURRENTS.
% A DECISION THAT'S VERY
% COMPLICATED, DISTILLED IT TO A
% PAGE AND A HALF TO GIVE OUT TO
% THE 1800-PLUS CLERKS, MOST OF
% THEM WHO DON'T HAVE BEEN LAWYERS
% TO GO TO CONSULT THEM.
% AND THE VERY FACT WE COULDN'T DO
% SOMETHING SO BASIC DOESN'T --
% DOESN'T BODE WELL FOR THE FUTURE
% OF THE COMMISSION.
% >> WHY DID YOU IN PARTICULAR
% WANT TO OFFER THAT GUIDANCE TO
% CLERKS?
% >> CLERKS, THE MAST MA -- VAST
% MAJORITY OF CLERKS VERY HARD.
% THEY HAVE A LOT OF ROLES.
% THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH OTHER
% AGENCIES IN STATE GOVERNMENT.
% ELECTIONS IS A VERY IMPORTANT,
% PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART
% OF THEIR JOB.
% BUT IT'S NOT THE ONLY PART OF
% THEIR JOB.
% AND THE ELECTION COMMISSION
% EXISTS, ONE OF THE -- FOR A
% PRIMARY REASON TO BROY
% GUIDANCE -- PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO
% CLERKS THIS.
% WAS A WELL-RITTEN PAGE 1/2 MEMO
% THAT WOULD HAVE DISPELLED WHAT
% THEY CAN AND CANNOT DO WITH DROP
% BOXES.
% THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION,
% NOT ALL OF IT GOOD.
% THIS INFORMATION WAS ACCURATE
% AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO
% THE CLERKS.
% >> WHAT WAS DID GUIDANCE?
% >> THE GUIDANCES THAT --
% COMMISSION INTERPRETED THE
% DECISION THAT YOU CANNOT HAVE
% UNSTAFFED DROP BOXES THAT --
% STATUTE REQUIRE THAT ABSENTEE
% BALLOTS BE RETURNED IN PERSON BY
% THE ELECTOR.
% THAT WAS THE GUIDANCE.
% AND THAT'S -- BASICALLY WHAT THE
% SUPREME COURT RULED.
% AND WE TRIED TO MAKE IT CLEAR
% AND SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE
% QUESTIONS.%>> WHAT ABOUT THE
ISSUE RAISED
% BY DISABILITY RIGHTS ADVOCATE
% THAT IS FEDERAL LAW PROTECTS THE
% RIGHT OF DISABLED PEOPLE TO GET
% HELP MAILING THEIR BALLOT OR
% DELIVERING IT TO THE CLERK?
% >> WE AGREE.
% IN FACT, THE REPUBLICANS OFFERED
% TO ADD TO THE GUIDANCE A
% PROVISION THAT WOULD REMIND
% CLERKS OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF
% THE FEDERAL LAW, THAT REQUIRES
% THAT OVERRIDES STATE LAW, THAT
% CLERKS MUST MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS
% FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ILL
% ILLITERATE, BLIND, OR DISABLED.
% THAT'S THE LANGUAGE OF THE
% FEDERAL LAW.
% AND THAT GUIDANCE WAS SHOT DOWN.
% THREE DEMOCRATS WOULDN'T AGREE
% TO PUT THAT INTO THE GUIDANCE.
% >> AMONG THE REPUBLICANS ON THE
% COMMISSION RIGHT NOW IS BOB
% SPINNEDEL WHO WAS ONE OF THE
% FALSE ELECTORS FOR TRUMP NOW
% GETTING ATTENTION FROM THE
% JANUARY 6th COMMITTEE AND
% POSSIBLY THE U.S. JUSTICE
% DEPARTMENT.%WHAT IS YOUR COM
MENT ON
% WISCONSIN'S LATE OF FALSE
% ELECTORS?%>> WELL, I'M RELUC
TANT TO TALK
% ABOUT THAT.
% THERE IS A LAWSUIT PENDING.
% THERE WAS A COMPLAINT FILED WITH
% THE COMMISSION.
% THE COMMISSION DISMISSED THE
% COMPLAINT ON A 6-0 VOTE.
% THE COMPLAINANTS ARE SUING THE
% COMMISSION INCLUDING
% COMMISSIONER SPIN DEL IN --
% SPINTELL IN COURT.
% AND ONE OF THE UNPLEASANT DUTIES
% I HAVE IS I AM QUARTERBACKING
% THAT CASE AND THE OUTSIDE
% ATTORNEYS ARE REPORTING TO ME.
% SO I'M NOT GOING TO COMMENT ON
% IT.%I DO AGREE, I WILL AGREE
,
% THOUGH, THAT I THOUGHT THE
% COMMISSION'S DECISION WAS
% CORRECT, THAT THE ULTIMATE SLATE
% OF ELECTORS, AS FAR AS I CAN
% TELL, DID NOT VIOLATE ANY
% WISCONSIN LAW THAT WAS PRESENTED
% IN THAT COMPLAINT.
% >> WHAT ABOUT CALLS TO DECERTIFY
% THE 2020 ELECTION?
% >> THE -- EVEN THE COUNCIL
% REPRESENTING THE PRE -- COUNSEL
% REPRESENTING THE PREVAIL
% PARTYING IN THE DROP BOX CASES T
% COUNSEL HAVE CONCEDED THAT
% THERE'S NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE
% TO DECERTIFY THE 2020 ELECTION.
% AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, THE
% COMMISSION HAS NO ROLE AT THIS
% POINT IN DEALING WITH THE 2020
% ELECTION.%MY JOB HAS BEEN TO
LOOK FORWARD.
% WE HAVE -- SEEMS TO ME DESPITE
% MANY ADVANCES IN ELECTION
% TECHNOLOGY, OUR CONFIDENCE IN
% ELECTION RESULTS IS AT AN
% ALL-TIME LOW.
% IN 2016 I WAS SUED BECAUSE,
% AMONG OTHERS, BECAUSE OF THE
% MANY PEOPLE ON THE LEFT FELT
% THAT HILLARY CLINTON WON
% WISCONSIN AND IN 2020 YOU HAVE
% THE SAME THING WHERE PEOPLE ON
% THE RIGHT BELIEVED DON'T TRUMP
% WON.%RIGHT NOW THE COMMISSION
HAS NO
% ROLE IN THAT.
% MY JOB IS TO LOOK FORWARD AND
% TRY TO ENHANCE THE PUBLIC'S
% CONFIDENCE IN ELECTIONS.
% >> I TRUST THAT YOU DO BELIEVE
% THAT JOE BIDEN LEGITIMATELY WON
% THE PRESIDENCY?
% >> I HAVE MY PERSONAL FEELINGS
% ON THAT.
% IT SEEMS THAT EVERY TIME I'M
% ASKED ABOUT MY ROLE ON THE
% COMMISSION, THAT'S ONE OF THE
% QUESTIONS THAT IS ASKED OF ME.
% CLEARLY, THE SUPREME COURT
% DECIDED THAT THERE WERE
% SOMETHING THAT -- THINGS THAT
% WERE UNTOWARD REGARDING THE DROP
% BOXES.
% WHETHER THAT HAD AN IMPACT ON
% THE ELECTION RESULTS -- I'M NOT
% GOING TO SAY ONE CANDIDATE WON
% OVER THE OTHER.
% I'M TRYING TO LOOK FORWARD.
% >> DON MILLIS, THANK YOU VERY