A Repeat of 2020?
The presidential election is almost here, and it has both sides on high-alert for anything that could be out of the ordinary. One of the biggest concerns on Republicans’ minds is if the election will be fair and if voter fraud will be rooted out.
One of the most hotly contested issues is Wisconsin’s refusal to remove over 4 million ineligible names from its voter rolls—a decision that raises serious concerns about election integrity.
“Wisconsin’s population is a little less than 6 million, with 3.5 million active voters,” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., pointed out in a statement to The Daily Signal. “So why do election officials refuse to clean up Wisconsin’s voter rolls and allow up to 4.1 million inactive voters to remain, with the potential for fraudulently using those names?”
While Johnson and other lawmakers argue that outdated voter rolls leave the system open to fraud, the Wisconsin Elections Commission claims it’s all about maintaining accurate records. According to the commission’s Badger Voters website, Wisconsin has 7.7 million total voters—3.5 million active and 4.19 million inactive. Those classified as “inactive” are not eligible to vote, but the state keeps their names on the rolls for recordkeeping purposes, unlike other states that remove such names.
The commission defends its practice, stating that deleting ineligible names would mean losing registration and participation history, along with the reasons why a voter became ineligible. However, many lawmakers see this as a vulnerability ripe for exploitation.
Earlier this year, a former Milwaukee County election official was sentenced to probation after being convicted of fraudulently obtaining absentee ballots using fake names. State Rep. Scott Krug, chair of the House Campaign and Elections Committee, highlighted this case, saying, “In Milwaukee County, an election official created voters, but the Wisconsin Elections Commission insists on keeping those names on their list as inactive, claiming it’s for metadata.”
Krug added that despite these concerns, courts have sided with the commission, ruling that legislators cannot force the removal of ineligible names from voter rolls. The commission maintains that retaining records of inactive voters is required by law and protects against fraud.
“The retention of voter history does not make it any easier to commit election fraud,” the Wisconsin Elections Commission claims. “Instead, the retention of historical data helps safeguard against abuse of the system.”
Even though Wisconsin voters can register easily and the state has strong voter ID laws, the decision not to remove ineligible names leaves many, like Annette Olson of the MacIver Institute, uneasy. Olson pointed out, “There are people who are made up that are still on the voter rolls. They are not real. … As long as the [election] clerks enforce the voter ID laws, we should be in good hands.”
But with 4.1 million inactive voters still on the rolls, questions about election security are far from settled.
The Plot Thickens
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) has released a report revealing that 144,347 people in the state are classified as “indefinitely confined,” allowing them to cast absentee ballots without providing a photo ID. This designation saw a massive surge during the 2020 election, permitting tens of thousands to vote absentee.
“Wisconsin has a strong voter ID requirement in place, but there is one loophole ripe for exploitation. Voters can claim they are ‘indefinitely confined,’ which allows them to receive absentee ballots without ever showing ID,” said WILL researcher Will Flanders in the report.
Flanders noted that while the number of voters with this status has declined since 2020, it remains 116% higher than in 2016. He also highlighted that thousands should be removed from the list under state law.
According to the report, clerks are required to remove voters who either vote in person or fail to vote in any election unless they sign and return a form to maintain their indefinitely confined status. Flanders pointed out that voters at risk of removal include 24,800 who didn’t vote in the April election, 2,788 who haven’t voted since 2020, and 2,595 who voted in person in April.
Not surprisingly, Democratic strongholds like Milwaukee and Madison have the highest concentrations of indefinitely confined voters, followed by more contested areas such as Green Bay and Kenosha. The indefinitely confined status, originally designed for elderly or disabled voters unable to physically reach the polls, allows individuals to select their eligibility for this category themselves.
“Under this statute, voters decide for themselves whether they qualify and can receive absentee ballots indefinitely if they continue voting,” the report explained. “Most concerning, voters can do so without ever presenting a photo ID. In Wisconsin, ID is only required when voting in person, not when registering.”
During the 2020 election, officials in Milwaukee and Madison controversially advised that nearly all voters could claim indefinitely confined status due to COVID-19 concerns. The Wisconsin Supreme Court later ruled this guidance invalid—though the ruling came after the election.
WILL has called for stricter oversight of the indefinitely confined loophole and sent letters to 15 communities across the state, urging them to comply with laws aimed at cleaning up voter rolls.
“Confidence in our elections is dangerously low, both in Wisconsin and across the country,” Flanders told The Daily Wire. “Voter ID is a trusted method of ensuring secure elections, but this loophole has been left unaddressed by the Governor since 2020. Local election clerks must take steps to mitigate the issue.”
With Wisconsin poised to be a key battleground state in the 2024 election, and polls indicating a tight race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, election security will remain a critical issue.
