voter suppression

[jp1]

I realize that republicans understand that they can't win without voter suppression, but what's going on in Wisconsin is shocking. Hopefully even republican voters will find what their legislature, and now their republican controlled supreme court and the republicans on the US supreme court did, to be beyond the pale. Telling people they need to risk their lives in order to exercise their right to vote is about as unamerican as anything I can think of at the moment.

If republicans keep fighting against mail ballots for everyone across the country the political ads practically write themselves: "{insert name of republican state representative of pushed against mail voting} thinks you should have to risk your life to vote. Why do they want you to risk dying in order to exercise your right to vote?"

Of course, considering that older americans tend to vote republican, and that the areas where they live will likely be slammed with covid illness a few months later than the more urban blue areas, this republican strategy, if successful, may backfire tremendously on them if smaller cities/towns/rural areas are getting hit hard by covid by this fall. Obviously that's a big unknown. What's not unknown is that only one of our two main political parties wants everyone to be able to safely vote.

[Alan]

I think it's interesting reading voter suppression conspiracy theories over the years, there's at least one every cycle. Most of the Republicans I know risked their lives in support of a country and political system which allows and encourages everyone to vote. Most non-Republicans did not and spend much of their time complaining that we didn't make it easy enough for them.

[jp1]

I think it's interesting reading voter suppression conspiracy theories over the years, there's at least one every cycle. Most of the Republicans I know risked their lives in support of a country and political system which allows and encourages everyone to vote. Most non-Republicans did not and spend much of their time complaining that we didn't make it easy enough for them.

So do you think wisconsinites should risk their lives going to the polls tomorrow? And if they do will they even be able to vote since most polling sites will be close? And does it matter what effect that will have on the election results?

I have thankfully not had to risk my life in order to vote. And don’t think I or anyone should have to. Are you saying that only people who have served in the military’s right to vote should be respected?

[Alan]

I have thankfully not had to risk my life in order to vote. And don’t think I or anyone should have to. Are you saying that only people who have served in the military’s right to vote should be respected?

No, just providing a perspective you may not be familiar with.

I'm not sure of the details surrounding the Wisconsin Supreme Court's ruling but I'm assuming it's based upon existing state law rather than any attempt at voter suppression, which is another perspective you may not be familiar with.

Edited to add: Just did a quick Google search and found that absentee ballots are still available for those not wishing to participate in In-Person voting with the only caveat that those ballots be postmarked NLT tomorrow.

[ApatheticNoMore]

It's insane, who knows if there were any risk before super Tuesday when I submitted my ballot (submitting a mail in at the polls), and didn't get too close to the person. But now, a month later, it's insane.

[jp1]

The details are that the republican legislature is only in existence because of gerrymandering. They had the chance to do the right thing to protect people’s lives but opted to do nothing. So the governor, using the state’s emergency declaration law, tried to do the right thing. And then the republicans controlled state Supreme Court, including a judge up for re-election, decided to do the wrong thing.

But sure, dead people are a small price to pay in order to win an election. Sadly that’s not a perspective that surprises me.

I’ll ask a different way. Given the reality of life today, is it reasonable for WI to go through with having in person voting tomorrow? And if not was the governor acting in bad faith to use the emergency declaration to postpone it?

[Alan]

I’ll ask a different way. Given the reality of life today, is it reasonable for WI to go through with having in person voting tomorrow? And if not was the governor acting in bad faith to use the emergency declaration to postpone it?

I think it's a bad situation that should have been addressed earlier. In my state, Ohio, our Republican governor and Republican state legislature took action prior to our scheduled primary date to change to a mail in ballot with extended time, but that didn't violate state law. It appears that doing the same would violate Wisconsin state law so the legislature should have acted sooner. SCOTUS's decision was based on the law, sometimes that sucks but it's always the right decision.

[dado potato]

A mail-in ballot for every registered voter seems like the opposite of voter suppression. Does every voter in Ohio get one for every election? It seems like a solution that would maintain social distancing and add to the convenience of voting.

In these discussions, there was not much said about absentee voting in Wisconsin. The candidates for state office (both parties) urged their supporters to vote absentee as early as possible. Additionally, when Governor Evers of Wisconsin was making his pronouncements about being "safer at home" on 3/17/20, he stated that absentee voting was a very easy thing to do. It seemed like an oblique way of suggesting to Wisconsinites that they should vote on absentee ballots. I did so, and all of my friends with any political opinions did. I predict that the in-person voting numbers will be very low, and the absentee ballots will be an all-time high. Consequently, the result of the vote will not be known until April 13.

We live in interesting times!

[jp1]

I think it's a bad situation that should have been addressed earlier. In my state, Ohio, our Republican governor and Republican state legislature took action prior to our scheduled primary date to change to a mail in ballot with extended time, but that didn't violate state law. It appears that doing the same would violate Wisconsin state law so the legislature should have acted sooner. SCOTUS's decision was based on the law, sometimes that sucks but it's always the right decision.

I will admit that Ohio’s republican governor seems to be a decent guy. And once things have played out he will probably be the one republican that actually saved people’s lives. The WI legislature who chose to immediately end the special session rather than do the right thing regarding the primary election of tomorrow? Not so much. Not will they be viewed as people who give a shit about democracy.

[frugal-one]

I heard on the news tonight in Milwaukee, WI there are only 5 voting sites for this election whereas previously there were 160. I have not researched this but this seems incredulous. Previously made voting difficult for blacks to get to voting sites... who historically vote democrat.