Over 200,000 Ballots Potentially Illegitimate After Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules on “Indefinitely Confined” Cases

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A couple of weeks ago the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in agreement with President Trump’s position on “indefinitely confined” cases, by ruling in favor of Mark Jefferson and the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

Under Wisconsin law a voter may bypass Wisconsin’s voter ID law and vote by mail if the voter claims to be indefinitely confined by factors such as age, physical illness or infirmity. This fall about 215,000 voters in Wisconsin made such a claim. The number is 4 times the claims made in 2016.

The court found the state government’s interpretation of the law was in error. A county clerk may not “declare” that any elector is indefinitely confined due to a pandemic.” It further stated that, “…the presence of a communicable disease such as Covid19, in and of itself, does not entitle all electors in Wisconsin to obtain an absentee ballot…”

“Electors” in this context refers to voters.

The court also found lockdown orders do not meet the requirements under Wisconsin law to allow a voter to claim the status of indefinitely confined.

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