MADISON (WKOW) — In a victory for Republicans, a Waukesha County judge declined to pause his ruling ordering the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) to suspend its guidance allowing clerks to add information to absentee ballot applications.
Waukesha County Judge Michael Aprahamian ruled last week that WEC issued illegal guidance in 2016 when it told clerks they can fill in or correct information in the address section witnesses must fill out when vouching for another absentee voter.
WEC attempted to issue a formal rule allowing such corrections, but legislative Republicans struck down the guidance in July.
Following the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump sought to throw out "thousands" of absentee ballots cast in Dane and Milwaukee counties because clerks had fixed the witness address section.
Lawyers for Waukesha County Democrats asked Aprahamian to stay his ruling, essentially putting it on pause until a higher court could review an appeal of the case. Aprahamian denied the Democrats' motion.
WEC commissioners have set a special meeting for Tuesday afternoon to discuss the Waukesha County ruling, which comes less than two months before Wisconsin's general election, which features high-profile races for governor and U.S. Senate, as well as impactful statewide contests for attorney general and secretary of state.
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