FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 23, 2021
Contact: Prudence Robertson, probertson@sbalist.org, (240) 672-2828
Cuccinelli: Gov. Evers Must Put Politics Aside for Secure and Transparent Elections
Washington, D.C. – This week A.B. 201 (S.B. 204), election integrity legislation in Wisconsin was passed by the State Assembly. The legislation now heads to Governor Tony Evers’ desk.
Importantly, A.B. 201 (S.B. 204), would help ensure voter I.D. protections for absentee voting by requiring voters casting absentee ballots to prove their identity, restricting the automatic mailing of absentee ballots, and mandating a clear absentee ballot request process.
National Chairman of the Election Transparency Initiative and former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who recently urged Senate leaders to bring the bill to the floor for a vote, issued the following statement:
“Voting-by-mail should never have fewer safeguards than voting-in-person – it’s simply common sense. We are grateful to Speaker Voss, Majority Leader LeMahieu, and Senator Stroebel for championing this critical legislation to help establish a secure and transparent process for absentee voting that Americans can trust.
“Governor Evers can now sign this bill to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat, or he can leave the doors open to fraud in a system where it is easy to cheat and hard to prove. We urge him to put politics aside and support free and fair elections every Wisconsin voter deserves.”
Wisconsin provides a free voter I.D. card for any resident who doesn’t have an existing form of I.D. but wants to vote. 2020 voter turnout in Wisconsin was at 75.8%, the highest it has been in decades.
Recent polling shows the majority of voters, including Black and Hispanic as well as urban and Independent voters overwhelmingly support voter I.D. protections and want it to be easy to vote and hard to cheat. Additionally, Rasmussen found 75% of likely U.S. voters say that showing a photo I.D. to vote is necessary for a “fair and secure election process.” Additional polling from Rasmussen found that 85% of registered voters said it is “common sense” to require photo I.D.
The Election Transparency Initiative, a partnership between American Principles Project (APP) and the national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List), was organized to combat H.R. 1/S. 1 and advocate for state-based election reforms that voters can trust.
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