Alexander Shur

Without election committee, Wisconsin Senate drags its feet on election bills The Assembly has moved most election bills this session, while the Senate — which now lacks a dedicated elections committee — has let most of them stall.

At a recent WisPolitics event, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said the absence of a Senate elections committee this session hasn't slowed down voting legislation.

But a Votebeat analysis shows the Senate lags far behind the Assembly on voting bills

www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...

In appeal, Madison warns disenfranchisement ruling could trigger wave of election lawsuits The city said that the lower court decision on uncounted absentee ballots in 2024 would unrealistically require “error-free” elections statewide.

Story here:

In appeal, Madison warns disenfranchisement ruling could trigger wave of election lawsuits
www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...

NEW: Madison this week appealed a court ruling that found the city can be sued for monetary damages for disenfranchising nearly 200 voters in 2024.

The appeal focuses on the threshold for monetary damages -- and alleges it requires more than Madison's unintentional errors

In appeal, Madison warns disenfranchisement ruling could trigger wave of election lawsuits The city said that the lower court decision on uncounted absentee ballots in 2024 would unrealistically require “error-free” elections statewide.

The city said that the lower court decision on uncounted absentee ballots in 2024 would unrealistically require “error-free” elections statewide.

Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency Activists who say they are in coordination with the White House are circulating a draft executive order that would unlock extraordinary presidential power over voting.

Am looking forward to WaPo reporting on Elon's draft executive order that would "unlock" time travel.

Small-town Wisconsin is struggling to find its next election clerks In Wausau and across rural Wisconsin, aging clerks are hard to replace — straining the state’s decentralized election system.

Who's going to run elections in small-town WI? In many places, it's a question w/o a clear answer.

Take it from the Town of Wausau, which has had 4 clerks in just over a year. It's a problem w/o a neat solution, but clerks still sure decentralized elections are best
www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...

Lawsuit seeking money over disenfranchised Madison votes can proceed, judge rules A state law describing absentee voting as a privilege does not mean absentee ballots receive less constitutional protection than in-person votes, the court held.

Court says Madison can be liable for disenfranchising voters

www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...

JudgeOrderVotebeat

HUGE court ruling 1) dismisses Madison's argument that absentee voting is a privilege, not a right; and 2) allows for lawsuits seeking damages against officials disenfranchising voters *even if the disenfranchisement is only because of negligence

Story TK

www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

Condemnation of Madison’s defense in missing-ballot lawsuit grows louder In a rare intervention, the Wisconsin Elections Commission filed a court brief denouncing the claim by the city and its former clerk that absentee voting is a “privilege.”

Wisconsin Elections Commission steps in to challenge Madison’s argument on absentee voting

www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...

No reprieve for Madison after arguing in court that absentee voting is a privilege, not a right.

Yesterday, WEC filed its first ever amicus brief to dispute the argument. Today, six voting groups released a letter calling on the city to abandon its argument.

Here's that:

As Trump calls for nationalizing voting, election officials draw on lessons of 2020 Those who lived through the threats and pressure campaigns say the president’s authority may be limited, but the guardrails that once held him back are weaker now.

Those who lived through the threats and pressure campaigns say the president’s authority may be limited, but the guardrails that once held him back are weaker now.

As Trump calls for nationalizing voting, election officials draw on lessons of 2020 Those who lived through the threats and pressure campaigns say the president’s authority may be limited, but the guardrails that once held him back are weaker now.

Election officials draw on sobering 2020 lessons as Trump calls for nationalizing voting

www.votebeat.org/2026/02/03/e...

Got questions about how Wisconsin's voter list is maintained? Reply here and @alexandershur.bsky.social may answer them in his newsletter!

No, these Wisconsin voter roll figures aren’t a sign of ‘fraud waiting to happen’ People on Wisconsin’s inactive list aren’t eligible to vote, but their records stay on file indefinitely — a practice that actually helps reduce the likelihood of fraud, election officials say.

A post shared by President Trump that's going viral misinterprets key aspects of how Wisconsin retains voter records.

It conflates active voters and the voter database, and baselessly says the current maintenance standard is conducive to fraud

www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...

Wisconsin’s governor disputes Madison’s argument that absentee voting is a ‘privilege’ Tony Evers warned in a court filing that accepting the former city clerk’s defense would free election officials to diminish voting rights. It’s an unusual intervention by a governor in a municipal el...

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers in court is disputing Madison and its former clerk's legal argument that they aren't liable for 193 lost ballots because absentee voting is a privilege, not a right.

www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...

National news outlets with this big of a platform should really weigh analysis like this with local perspective, which - I promise - comes to the opposite conclusion. This really makes me very sad.

Madison, former city clerk ask court to dismiss uncounted ballot lawsuit - WORT-FM 89.9 The city and its former clerk can’t be sued for the 2024 election snafu, their attorneys argue, because state law says absentee voting is a privilege – not a right.

Their attorneys pointed to a state law that says absentee voting is a privilege - not a constitutional right.

@alexandershur.bsky.social joins @fayeparks.bsky.social to explain why experts in election law are sounding the alarm.

www.wortfm.org/madison-form...

Stalled reforms highlight Wisconsin GOP’s rift over election policy Rep. Scott Krug says his Republican colleagues should adopt a “reality-based” mindset in the fight over ballot drop boxes. But he’s struggling to win them over.

Read about more here, and the rift emerging among GOP lawmakers focused on elections. Exhibit A is Rep. Dave Maxey, chair of the Assembly Elections Committee, who said he's a "no" on Monday processing.
www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...

You know the Monday processing bill -- the long-awaited reform that Wisconsin election officials have spent years asking for?

Well, as the GOP remains torn between election reforms sought by clerks and conspiracy theories, this looks like another session it won't become law.

Wisconsin judge orders citizenship checks for all voters The ruling doesn’t specify how state agencies should handle the task, but sets a target for completion: the next election, in February.

BREAKING story:

Wisconsin must verify citizenship of registered voters and new applicants, judge rules

www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...

State Rep. Scott Krug emerges as GOP’s voice of pragmatism on Wisconsin election policy Veteran lawmaker hopes to quiet the conspiracy theories and rebuild public faith — even if his proposals don’t make it.

“I don’t give a shit about getting my head kicked in by both sides.”

GOP Rep. Scott Krug hopes to quiet conspiracy theories and rebuild public faith in elections — even if his proposals don’t make it.

Great profile from @alexandershur.bsky.social wisconsinwatch.org/2025/09/wisc...

Wisconsin bill would let election officials start processing absentee ballots a day early Lawmakers hope to unite on a proposal that would speed up election results and reduce opportunities for misinformation.

The bill also includes regulations for drop boxes and witness address requirements. Rep. Scott Krug said he's confident the proposal can get the GOP support it lacked and get signed

LINK:
www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...

NEW: For years, Wisconsin election officials' top legislative priority have been lobbying for a bill to process absentee ballots beginning on the Monday before an election.

Votebeat got an early look at this year's version of the bill (cont.)

Help us with a project: Vote for Votebeat’s new pet mascot Votebeat is working on a project that illustrates and explains how ranked choice voting works, so we decided to ask readers to vote.

Calling all pet people who care about voting! www.votebeat.org/2025/09/04/v...

There’s a rare but critical inaccuracy in Jessica’s post. We do want to know who our pet mascot should be, we are exploring ranked choice voting. But you must first and foremost vote for Samson*

It’ll never top Four Lokos

But in speaking with election officials, I learned that many of them are reluctant to use a commercial e-pollbook that connects to the internet (just about all commercial options do, at some point).

Security experts less concerned w/ connectivity

Latest: www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...

Last month, I reported on how Wisconsin election officials wanted weren't completely satisfied with the state's in-house e-pollbook, Badger Book. Wisconsin Elections Commission formed a work group to learn about other options. (1/2)

As ballots sat uncounted, Madison clerk prepped for ‘cookie extravaganza’ Records obtained by Votebeat help explain what Maribeth Witzel-Behl was up to when the crisis erupted in her office: a baking staycation.

NEW: Madison clerk was on a cookie-baking staycation as missing-ballot mess unfolded

www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...

Witzel-Behl took off parts of or the entirety of 17 vacation days between Nov. 11 and Dec. 6, records show. She claims to have learned about the second batch of ballots on Dec. 10.

That same day, she told staff she was renting city cars for them to assist w/ cookie deliveries