The Badger State’s troubled election regulator continues to have a transparency problem.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) is facing possible court intervention for its refusal to turn over records related to guidance that WEC issued to local election clerks about same-day registration safeguards.
According to a lawsuit filed by the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), the commission issued updated guidance in February 2023, but has stonewalled PILF’s records requests seeking communications about the creation of the guidance for “at least 397 days.”
“Same-Day Voter Registration is already a vote now verify later system,” J. Christian Adams, president of the election integrity watchdog, said in a statement. “Wisconsin is adding more uncertainty to its election process by hiding election records. Wisconsin needs to be subject to the federal election transparency law. Concealing the election process from the public encourages disinformation and distrust.”
Wisconsin is one of 23 states and the District of Columbia that allows voters to register and cast a ballot on the same day, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Individuals registering to vote on Election Day in Wisconsin must present acceptable photo ID.
While leftist voting activists say same-day registration bolsters voter turnout, election integrity advocates argue the allowance opens the door to election administration chaos and fraud.
‘Matters of Great Public Importance’
Same-day voter registration does come with mandatory safeguards in the Badger State, including a review or audit to determine the validity of the same-day registrant’s address. Election officials must identify which registrations should
