Wisconsin Examiner: Alleged voter intimidation, lawsuits over voter rolls in Wisconsin as election nears

Henry Redman of The Wisconsin Examiner reports on concerns about voter intimidation and legal efforts to remove voters from the rolls in Wisconsin ahead of the 2024 election.

Voting rights advocates across the state are warning of efforts to intimidate voters while right-wing groups have been  filing lawsuits attempting to force people off the voter rolls.

With just 20 days until Election Day, more than 573,000 people have already requested absentee ballots and 267,524 of those ballots have been returned. In-person absentee voting will open next Tuesday, with locations and hours set by local election officials.

Wednesday was the deadline for people to register to vote online or by mail — with mail-in registration forms required to be postmarked by Oct. 16. Voters can still register in-person at their municipal clerk’s office or at the polls on Election Day.

On Tuesday, voting rights advocates asked the state and federal Departments of Justice to investigate reports that thousands of voters received text messages that could be seen as voter intimidation. The messages, which seem to have targeted young voters, warn recipients that anyone who votes in Wisconsin when not eligible to do so can be punished with fines up to $10,000 and 3.5 years imprisonment.

In a state with elections as close as Wisconsin, college-aged voters can often play a major role in deciding who wins. College students, even if they’re from another state, are eligible to vote in Wisconsin elections.

Read more at Wisconsin Examiner.