Voters in Wisconsin's April elections will see two proposed amendments to the state constitution on their ballots. The questions concern voting and may be misleading to some voters. Wisconsin League of Women Voters is advising a NO vote on both questions. Their reasoning follows: 

No matter our race, background or zip code, Wisconsinites know that voting is a fundamental right yet a handful of politicians want to limit funding for our elections without any plan to make sure election administrators have the support and supplies they need to help voters make their voices heard. 

How long we have to wait in lines to vote, how many polling locations are open, and the speed of results are all determined by how much money our state allocates to fund our elections. Vote no on constitutional amendment question 1.

Elections are a lot of work. Clerks rely on a whole host of outside experts, volunteers, and community members to make sure our elections are run smoothly and the results are accurate. A handful of politicians want to make the jobs of our election heroes even harder. That’s why we’re voting no this April on question 2! 

These constitutional amendments are rooted in disinformation and a lack of consideration for voters and our hard working local election administrators. Let’s keep conspiracies out of our elections. 

Vote NO this April on both constitutional amendments.

The Topline — Why Vote No

Question 1: “Use of private funds in election administration.

1. Elections need to be fully funded. This amendment reduces the options for municipal governments looking for outside sources of funding for elections without providing alternative resources. This change will shift the burden even further onto tax payers.

2. This change will have a negative impact on the voter experience and could lead to long lines and wait times at polling places, consolidated polling places, longer waits for election night results, and more due to lack of funding.

3. This change does not belong in our constitution. If the legislature wants to make this change, they should work with the governor to do so in a way that ensures our elections are fully funded.

4. Vote No on question 1 to ensure our clerks have the support and money they need to keep our elections running smoothly and securely.

Question 2: “Election officials.

1. Elections are a lot of work. Clerks rely on a whole host of outside experts, volunteers, and community members to make sure our elections are run smoothly and the results are accurate. 

2. Voter education organizations, like LWV, play a critical role in informing the public about their right to vote. This proposed change to our constitution ties the hands of our election officials from getting the outside support they need for our elections to function. 

3. This change does not belong in our constitution. If the legislature wants to make this change, they should work with the governor to do so in a way that ensures our clerks are able to get the support they need to run our elections.

4. Vote No to question 2 to ensure our clerks have the support they need to run our elections and voters have the support they need to make informed decisions for our state.

Source and more information: WI League of Women Voters.