Wisconsin Supreme Court Keeps Green Party Presidential Candidates Off State Ballot

Tuesday, September 15th, 2020 -- 8:07 am
Posted by Riley Hebert-News Director

(WMTV) -The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled against Green Party presidential nominee Howie Hawkins' attempt to get his name onto the state ballot.

Howie Hawkins and his running mate Angela Walker had sued asking the Justices to order clerks across Wisconsin, some of whom had already started printing their ballots, to go back and add their names. The Wisconsin Elections Commission deadlocked twice on whether they should be placed on the ballot. In their decision, the majority explained their decision did not rely on the merits of the case. Instead, they explained that Hawkins and Walker’s suit came so late that there was not enough to time to consider the case and make sure ballots would be sent on time. The time crunch was exacerbated, they explained, by the increased number of absentee ballots being requested because of the coronavirus pandemic. The ruling Monday clears the way for local clerks to resume mailing absentee ballots to more than 1 million voters who have requested one. On Friday, the Court stopped all absentee ballots from being sent while it considered their case.

In their decision Monday, the Justices vacated that order allowing ballots to be sent again. “Elections chaos averted,” Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a brief statement released after the decision. Kaul went on to thank his Dept. of Justice and election officials for their “quick work (that) helped safeguard the smooth functioning of the upcoming election.” The 4-3 order comes just seven weeks before the Nov. 3 presidential election in this narrowly divided state. Democrats had feared that adding Howie Hawkins to the ballot would take votes away from Joe Biden and assist the President. Rapper Kanye West is still hoping to be added to the Wisconsin ballot.

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