CAPITOL WERE JOINED IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL BY GROUPS
SUCH AS DISABILITY RIGHTS
WISCONSIN.
THE MILWAUKEE OFFICE DIRECTOR OF
THAT GROUP IS BARBARA BECKERT,
WHO JOINS US NOW FROM MILWAUKEE
AND THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE GLMENT THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY.
>> SO WHAT IS YOUR OR OR AUL OVERALL
REACTION TO THE PROPOSAL
>> WE WANT TO WORK WITH
POLICYMAKERS TO ADDRESS BARRIERS
TO VOTING AND PROTECT THE RIGHTS
OF VOTERS AND ALSO ENSURE WE
HAVE SECURE ELECTIONS.
AND WE AGREE THAT THERE ARE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT.
>> OF THE PRONGS OF IT,
CLIEWFDING
INCLUDING REQUIRING A DOCTOR'S
SIGNATURE FOR VOTERS UNDER 65,
WHICH PARTS OF IT STAND OUT AS
PROBLEMATIC FOR YOU AND WHY?
>> WELL, THESE VOTERS WOULD BE
REQUIRED TO PROVIDE STATEMENTS
UNDER OATH THAT THEY ARE
INDEFINITELY CONFINED.
WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT THAT MEANS,
BUT WE'RE CONCERNED.
THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE A
LOT OF DIFFICULTY GETTING OUT
INTO THE COMMUNITY.
DOES IT MEAN THEY WOULD HAVE TO
GO TO A NOTARY?
THEY NEED TO HAVE A STATEMENT
SIGNED BY A DOCTOR.
THAT'S VERY CONCERNING.
THIS IS NOT COVERED BY
INSURANCE, SO IT'S VERY LIKELY
THE VOTER WOULD NEED TO PAY FOR
THE VISIT.
SOME PEOPLE FEEL IT'S A POLL
TAX.
THESE ARE LOW-INCOME PEOPLE IN
MANY CASES.
IN ADDITION, IF THE VOTER OR
DOCTOR MAKES A FALSE STATEMENT
IT'S A FELONY WITH A FINE AND
POSSIBLE PRISON TIME.
SO I THINK IT'S VERY UNLIKELY
THAT HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
WILL BE WILLING GOING OUT ON THE
LINE AND SIGN THIS, ESPECIALLY
SINCE IT DOES NOT DEFINE WHAT
INDEFINITELY CONFINED MEANS.
>> NOW, WE ARE JUST AWFT AIR OFF THE AIR
WITH SENATOR BERNIER WHO SAYS
SHE TOO TAKES ISSUE WITH THOSE
KINDS OF ELEMENTS IN THE
PROPOSED BILL, SPECIFICALLY A
DOCTOR'S SIGNATURE AND AN OATH
TO SWEAR THAT YOU ARE
INDEFINITELY CONFINED.
AND SHE EXPECTS THERE TO BE
MODIFICATIONS TO THIS.
WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?
>> YEAH.
WE'VE APPRECIATED THE DIALOGUE
WITH SENATOR BERNIER.
I THINK SHE'S BEEN VERY
CONCERNED ABOUT ENSURING THAT
THE RIGHTS OF VOTERS WITH
DISABILITIES AND OLDER ADULTS
ARE HONORED.
BUT ALSO SEEING THAT THERE'S
SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WAY WE DO
BUSINESS WITH OUR ELECTION
SYSTEM HERE IN WISCONSIN.
AND WE WELCOME THE CHANCE FOR
CONTINUING CONVERSATION.
>> SO ARE THERE ANY CHANGES TO
CURRENT LAW AROUND
INDEFINITELY-CONFINED VOTERS
THAT YOU WOULD SUPPORT?
>> WELL, ONE THING THAT WE HAVE
SEEN IS THAT THE TERM IS
CONFUSING TO PEOPLE.
AT DISABILITY RIGHTS WISCONSIN,
WE HAVE A VOTER ASSISTANCE
HOTLINE, SO LAST YEAR, 2020, WE
ASSISTED HUNDREDS OF VOTERS WITH
DISABILITIES AND OLDER ADULTS
WHO HAD QUESTIONS.
AND MANY OF THEM, IN OUR
EXPERIENCE, THEY WANT TO FOLLOW
THE LAW.
AND WHEN THEY HEAR A TERM
INDEFINITELY CONFINED, IT MAKES
THEM ANXIOUS BECAUSE THEY SAY,
YES, I HAVE DIFFICULTY VOTING
AND GOING TO MY POLLING PLACE
BECAUSE OF AGE, DISABILITY OR
INFIRMITY OR MEDICAL CONDITION.
HOWEVER, I DO LEAVE MY HOUSE
SOMETIMES.
I, YOU KNOW, MAY BE ABLE ON A
GOOD DAY TO GO TO THE GROCERY
STORE.
I GO OUT FOR MEDICAL
APPOINTMENTS AND SO ON.
SO DO I QUALIFY FOR INDEFINITELY
CONFINED?
AND THE STATE SUPREME COURT HAS
AFFIRMED THAT, THAT THIS IS UP
TO THE VOTER TO DECIDE AND TO
CERTIFY.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE'S AN
OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER CLARIFY
IT SO THAT PEOPLE ARE
COMFORTABLE.
BECAUSE IN OUR EXPERIENCE,
VOTERS WANT TO DO THE RIGHT
THING.
SO I THINK WE CAN HELP THEM WITH
THAT.
AND ALSO ENSURE THAT MUNICIPAL
CLERKS HAVE A CONSISTENT
UNDERSTANDING.
>> YEAH, BECAUSE IT IS TRUE THAT
THE USE OF THE
INDEFINITELY-CONFINED STATUS
JUMPED FROM UNDER 70,000 VOTERS
IN 2016 TO MORE THAN 200,000
VOTERS IN 2020.
IN YOUR ESTIMATION, WAS IT
OVER-USED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT
IN FACT DISABLED OR CONFINED?
>> WELL, I GUESS FIRST I WOULD
PUT THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE
FACT THAT WE HAD A WORLDWIDE
PANDEMIC.
SO I THINK IT'S NOT AT ALL
SURPRISING THAT THE USAGE
INCREASED.
AND DID SOME PEOPLE DO THIS IN
AN EFFORT IN SOME WAY TO BE
FRAUDULENT AND DEFRAUD THE
SYSTEM?
THAT'S POSSIBLE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT.
THAT ISN'T THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE
CALLED US.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD INDIVIDUALS WHO
PERHAPS HAD NOT USED THAT
DEFINITION BEFORE, BUT THEY WERE
SCARED BECAUSE OF COVID AND THEY
WANTED TO RECEIVE ABSENTEE
BALLOTS FOR THE ELECTION IN 2020
AND DID NOT HAVE AN EASY WAY TO
PROVIDE A PHOTO I.D.
IT'S VERY INTERESTING THAT THE
DATA FROM THE ELECTION
COMMISSION SHOWED THAT THE
MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO USED
INDEFINITELY-CONFINED STATUS DID
HAVE A PHOTO I.D. REQUEST ON
FILE OR HAD SHOWN IT IN A PAST
ELECTION.
>> LIKE 80% OR SOMETHING, YEAH.
>> EXACTLY.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T
HAVE PRIVILEGE WHERE THEY HAVE
ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY OR THEY MAY
NOT KNOW HOW TO UPLOAD A PHOTO
I.D.
THAT'S THE CHALLENGE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
BARBARA BECKERT, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.
THANKS FOR YOUR WORK.
>> THANK YOU FOR THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO BE A VOICE FOR
VOTERS WITH