Assembly GOP urges Senate to pass absentee ballot processing bill
MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Top Republicans are putting pressure on lawmakers in the Senate to hold a vote on a bipartisan bill that would allow clerks to process absentee ballots the day before an election.
Under the "Monday processing bill," clerks would be allowed to do certain tasks, such as check for any missing information on an absentee ballot envelope and take the ballot out of the envelope to eventually feed it through a voting machine on Election Day.
The goal: speed up the process, specifically in Milwaukee, to avoid late-night shifts in election results.
The proposal passed the Assembly and has received broad bipartisan support, but it's currently stalled in the Senate.
"I have no idea why Senators would not want to solve this problem of late-night ballot dumps," said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester). "Hopefully they'll come to their senses and get a vote during the March floor period."
Top Republicans in the Assembly are urging the Senate to pass a bipartisan to allow clerks to count absentee ballots the Monday before an election.
— Emilee Fannon (@Emilee_Fannon) February 20, 2024
"I have no idea why Senators would not want to solve the problem of these late-night ballot dumps." @repvos
In 2022, former President Donald Trump falsely claimed he lost to Joe Biden because of "ballot dumps" in Milwaukee when thousands of absentee ballots were counted, creating a shift in the results.
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) told WISN the bill is unlikely to pass before November's election due to opposition among some Republicans.
Assembly Minority Leader Tyler August (R-Lake Geneva) warned if the proposal doesn't reach Gov. Tony Evers' desk, "It is incumbent on the City of Milwaukee to get their act together and count those ballots."
There are only a few opportunities left for the Senate to act on the bill. The chamber plans on holding their final session day in mid-March.
Evers, Milwaukee election officials, and Mayor Cavalier Johnson all support the bill and believe it could make a big difference in the amount of time it takes to report election results.