- The Wisconsin Supreme Court blocked Dane County’s clerk from telling groups of voters they could request absentee ballots without showing a photo ID because of the coronavirus pandemic.
- Milwaukee County’s clerk issued guidance nearly identical to that of the Dane County clerk. Following clarifying guidance issued by the Wisconsin Elections Commission, the Milwaukee clerk issued an up
- The clerks’s guidance was in reference to requesting absentee ballots and photo IDs.
- The clerks’ guidance did not address whether voters “did not have to come and vote.”
By early 2020, COVID was sweeping through the United States and began wreaking havoc on the daily lives of millions of Americans.
Confusion over voting and the polls swirled around the April 7, 2020 election. On the ballot was the presidential primary and elections for state Supreme Court, Milwaukee mayor, Milwaukee County executive and other local offices.
With regular polling places drastically reduced in many cities, many voters turned to an alternative means to cast their ballots, with county officials in Dane and Milwaukee offering guidance to voters, specifically on what they needed to do to get an absentee ballot.