Alright.
Even as the President and members of his cabinet make campaign swings through Wisconsin
this week, the Trump administration is working behind the scenes on the electoral process
leading up to the November elections.
This week, the U.S. Postal Service released its proposed rule attached to the President's
March executive order titled Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections.
That's an order Governor Tony Evers at the time called BS.
The order instructs the Departments of Homeland Security and Social Security to send state
election officials lists of confirmed U.S. citizens and prevents mail-in ballots to
anyone not on the list.
Add to that the FBI has been in Milwaukee interviewing and seeking to talk with election
officials who worked the 2020 election that Trump declares he actually won but didn't.
Trump maintains his loss was a result of widespread voter fraud which never proved out.
That against all this, we turn to Wisconsin Elections Commission Chair-elect, Republican
member Don Millis.
And Mr. Millis, thanks very much for being here.
Great to see you.
So is it another rough and tumble election cycle staring down the Wisconsin Elections
Commission?
Well, more of the rough and tumble certainly is going to be in the political ads that
are run between the candidates.
You know, this has always been an issue for the Elections Commission.
You know, there will be lawsuits and counter lawsuits and proposed regulations.
You know, I'm not too worried about it.
I know that the things that really bother me the most, that concern me the most are making
sure that absentee ballots, if they're mailed like a week or two before the election, they
get there on Election Day, those are things that we're working to try to, working with
the post office to make sure that that happens, those are things that concern me the most.
Because what has called on the U.S. Postal Service to speed up deliveries of absentee
ballots after I read two-thirds of clerks reported mail delays during the April 7 election.
How bad was it?
Well, it was so bad that when the Commission staff sent out a questionnaire to clerks,
they've got an overwhelming and historic response from clerks, typically clerks don't respond.
There was a huge, huge concern.
The staff have met with the Postal Service officials.
We are trying to get what's known as enhanced delivery procedures that they would agree
to when we have elections.
This would mean, for example, that when you put a return, a ballot to Madison or Grafton
or Eau Claire, it wouldn't have to go to Milwaukee or Minneapolis would go straight
to the clerk.
And so those are things we're working on.
Those are the things we do behind the scenes that no one really seems to pay much attention
to.
I glad that you're paying attention to it.
We can really make sure that our elections are done effectively and interested.
Have you had any response from the USPS on that?
I think the staff have indicated that it was a generally a very positive response.
I think there's a dedication to making sure that absentee ballots are returned promptly,
having multiple deliveries on Election Day, things like that.
I think it was a very constructive conversation.
As to these federally generated voter lists for delivery of absentee ballots, do you think
that's a good idea?
Well, I think it's problematic.
I mean, one of the concerns is they want to use intelligent mail barcodes on the return.
We use those when ballots are sent out.
Again, the problem with that is it delays it.
I'm guessing that, as with so many other executive orders and regulations that have come out
of the Obama, Trump, Biden, Trump, White Houses, the courts are going to have their
say, if it looks like it's going to pass muster with the courts, that's when we're probably
become concerned.
Well, I certainly have contingency plans.
It looks like it's going to fall into place.
But what was published last week was just a preliminary notice and comment in the federal
register.
I'm not, I think it's unlikely that that regulation is going to be in play for the
November election.
So, what is your response to the FBI poking around on the 2020 election in Wisconsin specifically
in Milwaukee?
Well, I've seen politicians on the press report about it.
Everything that I've seen and talking to people who have been interviewed is that the
interviews have been professional.
They've been done by career employees.
And it wasn't really what I call an investigation.
I think there's an effort to prepare a report for probably somewhat higher up in the Department
of Justice or the FBI.
I am not confident that anything more will come of it.
Certainly the conversation that was reported in the press with the Election Commission
staffer, the questions that were asked were, can you debunk these election conspiracy theories?
I think the staffer did a very good job of that.
And so, I'm not sure that we'll have an investigation.
I think it's hopefully doubtful that we'll see the FBI come in to any clerk's office
in Milwaukee or Madison or elsewhere with a search warrant.
I think mostly what's going on is that they're trying to draft a report so that those at Washington
can evaluate.
With all of this happening behind the scenes really, what should voters do to make sure
they can cast a ballot that is counted?
Well, certainly go on my vote, make sure that you're voting in the right place.
If you're going to vote absentee and we don't want to discourage people from doing that,
make sure you get your ballot, fill it out, send it back early, or if you're concerned
about the mails, place it in a secure drop box if your municipality has one or deliver
it to your clerk.
That's the most important thing.
All right.
We leave it there.
Don Miller's.
Thanks very much.
Thank you.
Have a good weekend.
Perfect timing.
Thank you.
Well, it's more due to you, and I try not to filibuster, so maybe some of your guests.
What else do you want to make?
You got that right.
We're talking to early childhood association about the, you know, the elimination or the
end of those childcare subsidies.
We have Donald Trump.
We are not interviewing him, but we are showing him.
Is it today?
Is it day to day?
Yeah.
Chippewa, Chippewa County.
Cool.
Oh, we have a nice story about the number of closures of rural schools.
Oh, you know, good news as usual.
All over the place.
Yeah, I guess so.
Okay.
Well, good enough.
Have a good weekend.
Thank you.
You too.