MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal judge was set to hear arguments Wednesday on why he should postpone Wisconsin’s spring election as the coronavirus continues to sweep across the state.
The election is still set to go on as scheduled on Tuesday. A number of other states have postponed their spring elections to protect voters and poll workers from the virus but Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican legislators have failed to come to any consensus on changes for Wisconsin’s contest.
The Democratic National Committee, the state Democratic Party and multiple other liberal-leaning groups filed three federal lawsuits in March demanding that in-person voting be postponed until after Evers’ stay-at-home order expires April 24 and clerks be allowed to mail absentee ballots to all registered voters as well as be given until June 2 to count them. Right now absentee ballots must be in clerks’ hands by 8 p.m. election night to count.
The lawsuits also seek to lift a number of voting regulations, including requirements that absentee voters need witnesses and absentee voters include copies of photo IDs with ballot applications.
U.S. District Judge William Conley has consolidated the lawsuits into one case. He’s scheduled to take testimony during a hearing Wednesday afternoon.
