(LibertySociety.com) – A recent report by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) has identified a loophole in Wisconsin’s election laws that could threaten the integrity of the 2024 election. The report highlights the “Indefinitely Confined” status, which allows more than 140,000 Wisconsin voters to cast ballots without ever providing identification. This status was originally intended for voters who are elderly, ill, or physically unable to vote in person, allowing them to receive absentee ballots without showing ID. However, the report suggests that this exception has been increasingly exploited.
In 2016, around 66,000 voters registered as “Indefinitely Confined,” but that number surged to 265,979 during the 2020 election, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Democratic-leaning areas were accused of encouraging voters to use this exemption to bypass voter ID requirements, a practice later criticized by the Supreme Court. The state’s voter ID laws, which typically require identification for voting, have a loophole in this exemption, allowing individuals to vote absentee without ever presenting an ID.
WILL Research Director Will Flanders expressed concerns about the loophole, arguing that it undermines trust in Wisconsin’s elections. He emphasized that while the state’s governor has refused to address the issue, local election clerks should take action to ensure compliance with election laws.
State law mandates that voters who do not return absentee ballots after receiving them should be removed from the “Indefinitely Confined” list, but according to the report, not all counties are following these rules. As of now, over 144,000 voters remain registered under this status.
With Wisconsin poised to play a crucial role in the 2024 election, where polls show Donald Trump and Kamala Harris running neck and neck, concerns over election security are particularly heightened. WILL has called for closer scrutiny and stricter enforcement of the rules surrounding the “Indefinitely Confined” status to prevent potential misuse.
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