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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 8, 2022

Nearly two-thirds of WI voters, including majorities of Democrats and Independents, support making ballot trafficking illegal

Washington, D.C.The Wisconsin Supreme Court today ruled in Teigen v. Wisconsin Elections Commission that that unsecure ballot drop boxes and the practice known as ballot trafficking are illegal under Wisconsin election law.

The process of ballot trafficking permits individuals such as political activists to collect ballots from other people and deliver them to election offices or into unsecure, unmanned ballot drop boxes, which were employed in 2020 for the first time on a wide scale.

National Chairman of the Election Transparency Initiative and former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli issued the following statement:

“We at the Election Transparency Initiative are grateful to see the court result in Wisconsin today. Given the insecurity and lack of transparency—not to mention the abuse—of so-called ‘ballot drop-boxes’, we are relieved to see the law enforced in such a way as to reduce the potential for illegal ballot trafficking and to start to correct violations of Wisconsin’s own laws by Wisconsin’s own government officials in administering elections. This is a great day for Wisconsin election security and transparency.

“We would like to congratulate the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, the counsel in this case, on their victory and for their commitment to free and fair elections voters can trust.”

A September 2021 poll commissioned by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and conducted by pollster Scott Rasmussen found that voter integrity proposals have broad bipartisan support from Wisconsin voters. Specifically, the WILL/Scott Rasmussen poll found that photo I.D. protections and proposals to ban ballot trafficking, both of which were vetoed by Evers in 2021, are broadly supported by Democrats and Independents, minority voters, and moderates:

65% of Wisconsin voters support a proposal that would make ballot trafficking illegal, legislation which was vetoed by Evers: 79% GOP voters, 53% Democrat voters, 58% Independent voters, 52% Minority voters, 61% Moderate voters, and strong majorities of every education level.

84% of Wisconsin voters support requiring voters to show photo I.D. before voting: 96% GOP voters, 70% Democrat voters, 81% of Independent voters, 82% Minority voters, 86% Moderate voters, and strong majorities of every education level.

69% of Wisconsin voters favor a uniform photo I.D. requirement for mail-in voting, legislation which was vetoed by Evers: 86% GOP voters, 52% Democrat voters, 65% Independent voters, 65% Minority voters, 61% Moderate voters, and strong majorities of every education level.

The Election Transparency Initiative, a partnership between American Principles Project (APP) and the national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony (SBA) Pro-Life America, was organized to combat federal H.R. 1 and H.R. 4 legislation and advocate for state-based election reforms that voters can trust.

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