Today, the America First Policy Institute’s (AFPI) Center for Litigation issued letters to the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) and local officials in Madison, La Crosse, and Oshkosh. The letters call for an end to what AFPI describes as early-voting poll-location gerrymandering.
“This practice violates a Wisconsin law prohibiting elections officials from holding early voting in locations which afford an advantage to any political party,” said Attorney Nicholas Wanic of AFPI’s Center for Litigation.
The letters argue that the announced early-voting locations disproportionately favor Democrat candidates by overrepresenting Democrat voters in these communities. They urge local election officials to choose early voting sites that do not provide a partisan advantage.
“Wisconsin law is clear: Early-voting locations cannot be used to cherry-pick votes for a particular party,” said Wanic. “The data shows officials in these cities have disregarded the law and are engaged in poll-location gerrymandering that gives a significant advantage to Democrat candidates.”
The WEC was also informed of these concerns. A letter sent to the WEC Administrator outlined the agency’s oversight responsibilities and requested action to address these violations of Wisconsin law.
“The Wisconsin Elections Commission has a legal and ethical obligation to administer fair elections,” added Wanic. “If the Commission fails to act, it will be complicit in undermining election integrity and the trust of Wisconsin voters.”
According to Wisconsin law, “The privilege of voting by absentee ballot must be carefully regulated . . . to prevent overzealous solicitation of absent electors.” AFPI reviewed voting data for planned early voting sites, indicating non-compliance with this regulation.
In Madison, La Crosse, and Oshkosh, many designated early voting sites are located on or near college campuses—areas historically leaning Democrat compared to other city areas. Most districts hosting early voting on April 1 have significantly overrepresented Democrat voters in recent elections.
AFPI plans to continue monitoring election procedures in Wisconsin and nationwide to ensure fair access to voting for all political affiliations.
You can read the full letters here.
Information from this article can be found here.
