Rare Bipartisan Support for Election Bills in the State Legislature

Monday, October 23rd, 2023 -- 12:00 PM

(By Rich Kremer, Wisconsin Public Radio) Roughly a year before what is almost certain to be an intensely polarizing presidential election, an unlikely trend is happening in the Wisconsin Legislature: Republicans and Democrats are working together on election bills.

According to Rich Kremer with Wisconsin Public Radio, that's not to say that there's broad consensus at the state Capitol, where Republicans have floated the idea of impeaching Justice Janet Protasiewicz over a redistricting lawsuit and Gov. Tony Evers vetoed nearly 20 GOP election bills last session alone.

But the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections heard testimony on several bills Thursday that have garnered support from both Republicans and Democrats. They include:

• A bill to adjust the timelines for clerks to send absentee ballots in presidential primaries;
• A plan to eliminate a requirement that voter identification numbers be marked on the back of absentee ballots;
• A measure that would require elected officials to serve as election workers.

The panel also voted unanimously in favor of another bipartisan bill that would allow absentee voters to sign up for text messages alerting them that their ballots have been received.

While members from the two parties didn't agree on everything at Thursday's hearing, some commented on how rare it was to see bipartisan support for election related bills.

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