% KABBY HONG THANK YOU SO MUCH.
% HAVE A GREAT SCHOOL YEAR.
% >> Kabby Hong: THANK YOU.
% APPRECIATE IT.
% >> Frederica Freyberg: IN
% ELECTION NEWS A FEDERAL JUDGE IN
% MADISON THIS WEEK RULED
% WISCONSIN VOTERS WITH
% DISABILITIES CAN GET HELP
% RETURNING THEIR BALLOTS CITING
% THE FEDERAL VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
% THIS DECISION AFTER THE STATE
% SUPREME COURT RULED ONLY THE
% VOTER COULD RETURN AN ABSENTEE
% BALLOT TO THE CLERKS OFFICE.
% APPROVED A PROPOSAL TO SEEK
% $1.3 MILLION TO HIRE TEN PEOPLE
% AND CREATE AN ELECTIONS
% INSPECTOR GENERAL PROGRAM.
% HOW WILL ANY OF THIS SQUARE WITH
% REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF THE STATE
% LEGISLATURE WHO HAD THE
% COMMISSION IN THEIR SIGHTS FOR
% ITS GUIDANCE DURING THE 2020
% ELECTION?
% FOR MORE ON THIS ADMINISTRATOR
% OF THE WISCONSIN ELECTION
% COMMISSION MEAGAN WOLFE.
% THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
% >> Meagan Wolfe: THANK YOU FOR
% HAVING ME.
% >> Frederica Freyberg: WHAT IS
% YOUR RESPONSE?
% >> Meagan Wolfe: THE COMMISSION
% WILL FORMALLY RESPOND AT A
% SPECIAL MEETING TO BE CONDUCTED
% ON SEPTEMBER 6th AT 6:00 P.M.
% PART OF THE JUDGES RULING WAS TO
% DIRECT THE COMMISSION TO PROVIDE
% ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND
% GUIDANCE TO VOTERS WITH
% DISABILITIES ABOUT THE EXACT
% MECHANICS OF HOW THEY CAN CHOOSE
% TO HELP THEM MAIL OR DELIVER
% THEIR ABSENTEE BALLOT.
% SO THE COMMISSION WILL BE
% MEETING IN PUBLIC IN OPEN
% SESSION ON SEPTEMBER 6th TO
% HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
% >> Frederica Freyberg: THE COURT
% ALSO DIRECTED CLERKS TO BE
% NOTIFIED BY NEXT FRIDAY OF THE
% GUIDANCE.
% DOES A VOTER HAVE TO SOMEHOW
% PROVE THEIR DISABILITY TO GET
% THIS HELP?
% >> Meagan Wolfe: THAT WILL BE
% PART OF THE CONVERSATION THAT IS
% AT THE COMMISSION'S MEETING.
% BUT IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT MOST
% LIKELY BE APPROPRIATE OR
% SOMETHING THAT IS PART OF THAT
% PROCESS.
% VOTERS DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY
% TO CHOOSE SOMEONE TO BE ABLE TO
% SAY CYST THEM UNDER BOTH STATE
% AND FEDERAL LAW.
% >> Frederica Freyberg: AS TO THE
% UNANIMOUS APPROVAL FOR MORE THAN
% $1 MILLION AND INSPECTOR GENERAL
% FOR THE ELECTIONS COMMISSION,
% WHY IS THAT NEEDED?
% >> Meagan Wolfe: SO I THINK IT'S
% A RESULT OF NEEDS.
% IT'S A REALLY NEEDS-DRIVEN
% PROPOSAL.
% AND IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE
% REALLY SEEN THAT THE ELECTION
% LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED
% DRAMATICALLY.
% THE REQUEST AND THE DEMANDS UPON
% OUR AGENCY HAS SHIFTED.
% WE HAVE SEEN SUCH A TREMENDOUS
% INCREASE IN PEOPLE ASKING FOR
% ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
% AND THE COMMISSION EVEN, THEIR
% DESIRE TO INCREASE THINGS LIKE
% THE AUDITS THAT OUR AGENCY
% CONDUCTS.
% AND SO THIS PROPOSAL, AND NOW
% THE COMMISSION'S UNANIMOUS
% APPROVAL OF THIS PROPOSAL,
% REALLY PLACES BEFORE LAWMAKERS
% AND THE GOVERNOR IN THE 2023
% BUDGET-MAKING PROCESS A COUPLE
% QUESTIONS.
% THE FIRST IS, DO THEY WANT TO
% SEE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF
% VOTING EQUIPMENT AUDITS THAT ARE
% CONDUCTED?
% DO THEY WANT TO SEE AN EXPANSION
% IN PROGRAMS LIKE OUR
% ACCESSIBILITY AUDITS?
% AND DO THEY WANT THE COMMISSION
% TO ENGAGE IN ADDITIONAL CHECKS,
% REVIEWS, INDEPENDENT AUDITS OF
% VOTER DATA AND VOTER ROLES?
% AND IF THE ANSWER IS YES TO
% THOSE QUESTIONS, THEN WE NEED TO
% ASK FOR FUNDING FOR THOSE
% PROGRAMS THROUGH THE STATE
% BUDGET PROCESS.
% >> Frederica Freyberg: AND IS
% THERE SOMETHING SPECIFIC THE
% INSPECTOR GENERAL WOULD DO?
% >> Meagan Wolfe: SO THE
% INSPECTOR GENERAL WOULD BE THE
% HEAD OF THAT DEPARTMENT.
% UNDER THAT DEPARTMENT THEY WOULD
% HAVE VARIOUS STAFF THAT WOULD BE
% LOOKING INTO -- THEY MIGHT BE
% DATA EXPERTS.
% THEY MIGHT BE EXPERTS ON
% ACCESSIBILITY AUDITS.
% THEY MIGHT BE EXPERTS ON VOTING
% EQUIPMENT AND CERTIFICATION IN%
OTHER ASPECTS OF THAT PROGRAM
% ANTEINSPECTOR GENERAL WOULD BE
% THE ONE THAT IS SUPERVISING THAT
% WORK AS IS DIRECTED BY THE
% COMMISSION AND THROUGH THE
% STRUCTURE OF THE AGENCY.
% >> Frederica Freyberg: HERE'S
% WHAT REPRESENTATIVE JANELLE
% BRANSON SAID ABOUT THIS.
% QUOTE, THIS IS PLAY OUTSIDE
% OF -- OFFERING A FIX WHILE
% PRETENDING IT WILL SOLVE THE
% PROBLEMS OF THIS ROGUE AGENCY.
% SO GIVEN THAT KIND OF
% PERSUASION, WHAT HAPPENS, IN
% YOUR MIND, IF THIS MONEY ISN'T
% APPROVED?
% >> Meagan Wolfe: IF THIS MONEY
% ISN'T APPROVED, WE WON'T BE ABLE
% TO EXPAND INTO THOSE ADDITIONAL
% AREAS.
% AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE A REAL
% SHAME FOR WISCONSIN VOTERS AND
% EVEN FOR LAWMAKERS.
% BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO
% PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION,
% ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO
% ENGAGE WITH ELECTION
% INFORMATION.
% ADDITIONAL TRANSPARENCY.
% BUT IN ORDER FOR US TO TAKE ON
% THESE NEW ADDITIONAL TASKS, WE
% NEED TO SEE ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
% SUSTAINABLE FUNDING THROUGH THE
% STATE BUDGET PROCESS.
% >> Frederica Freyberg: SPEAKING
% OF CRITIC BRANSON, SHE IS
% HOLDING A HEARING ON WHY THE
% COMMISSION IS REINSTATING 31,000
% PREVIOUSLY INACTIVE VOTERS TO
% THE VOTERS REGISTRATION LIST.
% WHY ARE THEY PUTTING BACK ON THE
% ROLES?
% >> Meagan Wolfe: THAT IS GREAT
% QUESTION.
% AND IT IS A RESULT OF THE STATE
% SUPREME COURT DECISION THE
% ZANEGO DECISION.
% AFTER THAT DECISION WAS HANDED
% DOWN, THE COMMISSION HAD BEFORE
% IT TWO QUESTIONS.
% ONE, WHAT WAS TO DO WITH FOLKS
% THAT WERE IDENTIFIED BY ERIKA'S
% POTENTIALLY MOVING AND SENT
% MAILER.
% WHAT TO DO WITH THEM MOVING
% FORWARD.
% AND THE COURT SAID THAT IS A
% MUNICIPAL CLERK RESPONSIBILITY.
% SO THE COMMISSION GAVE GUIDANCE
% TO THE MUNICIPAL CLERKS TO TAKE
% ACTION ON THOSE RECORDS.
% THE SECOND QUESTION THAT WAS
% BEFORE THE COMMISSION IS WHAT TO
% DO WITH THE VOTERS THAT HAD
% ALREADY BEEN DEACTIVATED AND
% WHERE THE COURT SAID IT WAS A
% MUNICIPAL CLERK RESPONSIBILITY,
% NOT A RESPONSIBILITY OF THE
% ELECTIONS COMMISSION.%AND IN
THAT CASE, THERE WAS A
% FOLLOW UP LAWSUIT AND AS OF THAT
% LAWSUIT, THERE WAS A STIPULATION
% THAT THOSE VOTERS WOULD BE
% REACTIVATED.
% >> Frederica Freyberg: COMPLICAT
% COMPLICATED -- COMPLICATED STUF.
% MEAGAN WOLFE THANK YOU.
% >> Meagan Wolfe: THANK YOU.
% >> Frederica Freyberg: THE STATE
% JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CRIMINALLY
% CHARGED -- WITH HIS REQUESTING
% ABSENTEE BALLOTS IF FOR TWO
% OTHER PEOPLE.
% CHARGING PAPERS SAY HE COULD