The Sconi

To combat absentee ballot fraud, the most common type of voter fraud, according to The Hill, a bill has been introduced to urging the Wisconsin Elections Commission to outlaw the process by which outside groups, typically partisan, help to send or return large numbers of absentee ballots.

Senate Bill 203 would require absentee voters to return the ballot themselves, by a member of the voter's immediate family, or by the voter's legal guardian.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 26 states authorize voters to nominate someone else to return their ballot on their behalf. The number of ballots that the designee will obtain and return on behalf of voters is limited in 12 of those states.

“This type of thing is ripe with the potential for abuse,” Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) President and General Counsel Rick Esenberg told radio station WISN-AM. “It’s not an unreasonable expectation, and it’s one I think is important to ensure, not only that our elections are conducted fairly, but we have confidence they are conducted fairly.”

In November, high absentee voting is predicted, placing the spotlight on the tradition of ballot harvesting. The practice is not expressly prohibited by Wisconsin statute. 

On behalf of five registered voters, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty claims that state law prohibits it but that it may be interpreted to allow it. 

WILL is requesting information from the Wisconsin Elections Commission to pass a regulation enforcing the firm's legal understanding.

The bill was referred to the Wisconsin Senate Committee on Elections, Election Process Reform and Ethics.