A Wisconsin Appeals Court Struck Down an Ozaukee County Judge's Ruling that Thousands of People had to be quickly Removed from the State's Voter Rolls because they are believed to have Moved. The Appeals Judges also Unanimously Overturned a Finding that State Election Officials were in Contempt of Court for Not taking People Off the Rolls.

The Ruling comes a month after the District 4 Court of Appeals in Madison Temporarily Blocked the Decisions by Circuit Judge Paul Malloy. Friday's Ruling puts a more Permanent Block on the effort to take Voters Off the Rolls, but those who brought the Lawsuit promised to ask the Supreme Court to Reverse the Latest Ruling.

The Appeals Decision affects about 232,000 Voters who were Targeted to be taken Off the Rolls in one of the most closely watched States for this year's Presidential Election. State Officials believe the Voters have Moved, and Supporters of the Lawsuit argued they must be Taken off the Rolls until they Re-Register to Vote.

Friday's Ruling was issued by Judges Michael Fitzpatrick, JoAnne Kloppenburg, and Jennifer Nashold.

Three Voters Represented by the Conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty Sued, arguing the State had to Remove them from the Rolls. Judge Malloy agreed and Ordered the Voters Purged from the Rolls.

The Election Commission left those voters on the Rolls after Twice Deadlocking on the Issue. That prompted Judge Malloy. in January, to find the Three Democrats on the Commission: Ann Jacobs, Julie Glancey, and Mark Thomsen, in Contempt of Court. Malloy Fined the Commissioner $50 a day and the Democratic Commissioners $250 a day each. No Fines were ever paid because the Appeals Court Temporarily Blocked the Contempt Findings the next day.

The Lawsuit hinged on a State Law that says Voters should come Off the Rolls if they have Not Responded within 30 days to Notifications that there is Reliable Information that they have Moved. But the State Law Violates the National Voter Registration Act.

Rick Esenberg, the President of the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, said he would ask the Supreme Court to Overrule the Appeals Court.

Attorney General, Josh Kaul (D), Defended the Elections Commission, Praised the Appeals Court's Ruling, and said he believed the Commission was in a strong position if the Case goes to the Supreme Court. “I think that this decision is a win not only for the voters who were close to being purged, but also for democracy," he said.

Esenberg tried to get the State Supreme Court to take the Case before the Appeals Court Ruled on it, but the Justices Declined to do so after they split 3-3 in January. The Tie Vote occurred after Conservative Justice Daniel Kelly Declined to Participate in the Case because he is on the Ballot this spring and did Not want to create the Appearance of a Conflict of Interest.

Now that the Appeals Court has issued its Final Ruling, those bringing the Lawsuit will try again to get the State Supreme Court to take the Case. Whether the Votes of any Justices will Change remains Uncertain.

Meagan Wolfe, Director of the Elections Commission, in a Statement, said she Appreciated the Appeals Court's Ruling and urged People who have Moved to Update their Registrations. “The important thing for voters to know is that if you have moved, you need to be registered at your current address before you can vote," she said in her Statement.

“No voters have been deactivated if they did not respond to the Wisconsin Elections Commission’s mailing in October 2019 to voters who may have moved. The mailing was to make sure that voters who have moved know how to re-register at their current address and to encourage them to do that before the election or on election day.”










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker