MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Advocates for people with disabilities and minority voters in Wisconsin filed a sweeping federal lawsuit Monday asking a judge to order that more poll workers be hired, every voter in the state receive an absentee ballot and a host of other changes be made to ensure the August primary and November presidential election can be held safely amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Wisconsin has been at the center of the fight, both in court and out, over elections during the pandemic after it proceeded with its April 7 presidential primary even as other states delayed voting.
It was filed against the Wisconsin Elections Commission by Disability Rights Wisconsin, a Milwaukee-based advocacy group Black Leaders Organizing for Communities and three voters who said they were prevented from voting, or faced obstacles to casting ballots, in the April 7 presidential primary and spring election.
The lawsuit seeks multiple changes ahead of the elections, including sending absentee ballots to all voters; hiring additional staff to count those ballots as they’re returned; requiring that voting machines accessible to people with disabilities be available at all in-person absentee voting locations; hiring more poll workers; and upgrading voter registration systems to handle the anticipated increased volume of online voter registration and absentee ballot requests.
The lawsuit also wants to require that absentee ballot drop boxes be installed in every community; state elections officials work with the U.S. Postal Service to ensure timely delivery, return and counting of absentee ballots; notify voters if their absentee ballots won’t be counted in time for them to fix problems; increase opportunities for curbside voting; and launch a public education campaign about voting options.
