CAME QUICKLY FOLLOWING LAST
WEEK'S RULING BY AN OZAUKEE
COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT THAT MORE
THAN 200,000 REJLE REGISTERED VOTERS
SHOULD BE DEACTIVATED.
THE RULING CAME IN RESPONSE TO A
LAWSUIT FILED BY A CONSERVATIVE
GROUP THAT CHALLENGED THE
WISCONSIN ELECTIONS COMMISSION
DECISION TO ALLOW THOSE WHO MAY
HAVE MOVED TO BE ABLE TO STAY ON
THE ACTIVE ROLLS THROUGH APRIL,
2021.
THAT SUIT CITED A STATE STATUTE
THAT REQUIRES DEACTIVATION 30
DAYS AFTER SUCH VOTERS GET A
MAILED NOTICE SHOW SAYING RECORDS SAY
THEY MAY HAVE MOVED.
REPUBLICANS WORRY ABOUT VOTER
FRAUD.
BUT WHERE DOES ALL THIS STAND
TONIGHT ON THE CUSP OF A
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, WHERE
WISCONSIN IS PIVOTAL?
WE TURN TO THE ADMINISTRATOR OF
THE ELECTIONS COMMISSION, WEG MEAGAN
WOLFE.
IS THE COURT'S RULING IN LIMBO
NOW BECAUSE OF THE APPEAL TO THE
HIGHER COURT?
>> CURRENTLY THERE IS AN APPEAL
AND WE'RE WAITING TO SEE WHAT
THE JUDGE DECIDES IN TERMS OF A
STAY OF THE CURRENT ORDER BEFORE
THE COMMISSION DECIDES ON
FURTHER ACTION.
>> AND SO RIGHT NOW, TONIGHT,
THOSE VOTERS REMAIN ON THE
ACTIVE LIST.
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> HOW FRACTIOUS IS THIS
SITUATION GIVEN THAT THE
ELECTIONS COMMISSION IS
DEADLOCKED ON PARTY LINES ABOUT
HOW TO PROCEED AFTER THE RULING?
>> SO THE OVERSIGHT BOARD IS
THAT SIX-MEMBER, BIPARTISAN
COMMISSION THAT PROVIDES
GUIDANCE AND DECISION-MAKING FOR
THE COMMISSION.
SO THERE'S BOUND TO BE SOME
DIFFERENCES FROM TIME TO TIME.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO
NOTE THAT THE DECISIONS FOR THE
MOVERS LIST, THE PROCESS THAT
WAS IMPLEMENTED, THOSE VOTES
WERE LARGELY UNANIMOUS AND ANY
CHANGES AND SORT OF DIFFERENCES
HAVE REALLY BEEN RESULTS TO THE
DIRECTION OF LITIGATION
RECENTLY.
>> SO WHY DID THE COMMISSION
ORIGINALLY WANT TO GIVE THESE
VOTERS WHO CHANGED ADDRESS UNTIL
2021 BEFORE THEY WERE
DEACTIVATED?
>> THE PURPOSE OF ERIC IS REALLY
TO DETERMINE IF SOMEONE IS
PROPERLY REGISTERED AT THE
CORRECT ADDRESS OR IF THEY'RE
ELIGIBLE TO BE REGISTERED BUT
THEY'RE NOT YET TO GIVE THEM
THAT INFORMATION.
SO THE DECISION WAS MADE TO MAKE
SURE THAT VOTERS AGAIN HAD THAT
OPPORTUNITY TO GET REGISTERED AT
THE CORRECT ADDRESS.
WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT ERIC DATA
SETS, ERIC DOES IS IT MAKES
A REPORT THAT DETERMINES
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE STATE
VOTER ROLLS AND DATABASES LIKE
DMV'S OR THE POSTAL SERVICE AND
THEN IT'S OUR JOB TO DETERMINE
HOW TO EDUCATE VOTERS ABOUT HOW
IF THEY MAY HAVE MOVED, THEY
NEED TO UPDATE THEIR ADDRESS.
>> WHAT DOES ERIC STAND FOR?
>> THE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION
INFORMATION CENTER.
>> THAT'S WHERE THIS INFORMATION
COMES FROM THAT TELLS THE
COMMISSION THAT THESE VOTERS
MIGHT HAVE MOVED.
>> CORRECT.
IT COMPARES VOTER LISTS WITHIN
OUR STATE AS WELL AS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY TO AGAIN DETERMINE IF
THERE ARE VOTERS THAT ARE
ELIGIBLE TO BE REGISTERED TO
VOTE BUT CURRENTLY AREN'T SO WE
CAN EDUCATE THEM OR VOTERS THAT
MAY HAVE MOVED AND NEED TO
REGISTER AT A NEW ADDRESS.
>> WHAT ABOUT THAT STATUTE, THAT
STATE STATUTE THAT SAYS THAT
SUCH MOVERS MUST BE PURGED
WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THIS WRITTEN
NOTICE?
>> SO THE CURRENT LAW SAYS THAT
THE STATE OF WISCONSIN MUST JOIN
THE ERIC ORGANIZATION AND MUST
ABIDE BY THE ERIC AGREEMENT, BUT
IT IS NOT SPECIFIC IN TERMS OF
WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT DATA SET.
WE'RE JUST REQUIRED BY THE ERIC
AGREEMENT TO MAKE CONTACT WITH
AT LEAST 95% OF THE VOTERS THAT
ARE ON THE LIST FOR THE MOVERS,
BUT IT'S NOT SPECIFIC.
THERE ARE OTHER PLACES IN
STATUTE THAT TALK ABOUT THIS
MAINTENANCE.
FOUR-YEAR MAINTENANCE, FOR
EXAMPLE.
SO VOTERS WHO HAVE NOT
PARTICIPATED IN AN ELECTION FOR
FOUR YEARS, THE STATUTE DOES
REQUIRE FOR THOSE VOTERS THAT WE
SEND THEM A NOTICE LETTING THEM
KNOW THEY HAVEN'T PARTICIPATED
IN FOUR YEARS.
AND THEN IF WE DON'T HEAR FROM
THEM WITHIN 30 DAYS, THEIR
RECORD IS DEACTIVATED.
BUT THAT'S A SEPARATE SET OF
LAWS.
>> DO YOU THINK DEACTIVATING
THESE VOTERS IF THAT HAPPENS
WILL SUPPRESS VOTES?
>> HERE IN THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN WE HAVE SAME-DAY VOTER
REGISTRATION.
SO I THINK REGARDLESS OF WHERE
THE DECISION HEADS THAT THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING FOR VOTERS TO
KNOW, THE BIGGEST TAKE-AWAY OR
ACTION ITEM FOR THEM, IS TO KNOW
YOUR REGISTRATION STATUS AND
MAKE SURE YOU'RE REGISTERED TO
VOTE AT THE CORRECT PLACE.
SO ANY VOTER THAT'S WONDERING
WHERE THEY'RE REGISTERED TO VOTE
OR WHAT THEIR STATUS IS CAN GO
TO MYVOTE.WI.GOV.
THEY'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO
REGISTER ON LINE.
YOU CAN ALSO REJLE SISTER AT REGISTER AT THE
POLLS ON ELECTION DAY.
JUST MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PROOF OF
RESIDENCE DOCUMENT, SO SOMETHING
LIKE A UTILITY BILL, MAYBE YOUR
DRIVER'S LICENSE THAT HAS YOUR
CRUR
CURRENT NAME AND ADDRESS ON IT.
>> ARE MORE PEOPLE ON THE CHANGE
OF ADDRESS LIST DEMOCRATIC
VOTERS?
>> WE DON'T TRACK PARTY HERE IN
THE STATE OF WISCONSIN, SO YOU
DON'T REGISTER AS A PARTY, SO WE
HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHO THOSE
VOTERS ARE.
>> AND YET MORE OF THOSE VOTERS
COME FROM LARGER CITIES, IS THAT
ACCURATE?
>> LARGEST PLACES ARE GOING TO
HAVE MORE VOTERS ON THE LIST.
ALSO PLACES THAT HAVE A MORE
TRANSIENT POPULATION MIGHT BE ON
THAT LIST MORE FREQUENTLY.
>> DO YOU FEEL AS LEAVING THEM
ACTIVE ENCOURAGES FRAUD?
>> SO WE ALSO HAVE A PHOTO I.D.
LAW HERE IN THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN, WHICH MEANS THAT ANY
VOTER THAT SHOWS UP TO VOTE ON
ELECTION DAY HAS TO PROVE WHO
THEY ARE.
WHEN YOU'RE REGISTERING TO VOTE,
YOU'RE PROVING WHERE YOU LIVE.
WHEN YOU SHOW UP TO CAST YOUR
BALLOT, YOU STATE YOUR NAME AND
YOUR ADDRESS PUBLICLY AND SHOW
THAT PHOTO I.D. TO PROVE WHO YOU
ARE BEFORE YOU CAN CAST A
BALLOT.
SO EVEN THOSE VOTERS IF THEY
HAVE MOVED AND IF THEY'RE STILL
ON THE POLL LIST, THEY ARE HE
'STILL GOING TO BE ASKED TO
AFFIRM IF THEY STILL LIVE AT
THAT ADDRESS.
IF THEY HAVE MOVED, THEY WILL
REREGISTER AT THEIR PRESENT
ADDRESS.
>>