Evers Forces Slapdash Redistricting

Every ten years, Wisconsin goes through a redistricting process to ensure district populations are evenly distributed. This time, due to delays in the US census caused by shutdowns, the data will not be available within the normal schedule for drawing maps.

Assembly Bill 369 would have allowed local governments to get access to the census data before drawing new maps. This bill was supported by the non-partisan League of Wisconsin Municipalities and Wisconsin Counties Association. The bill would not have affected the timeline for redrawing legislative maps, contrary to what many liberal organizations have been trying to assert.

Still, the governor vetoed AB 369, effectively forcing local governments to draw maps that may not hold up in court due to their inability to rely on the necessary census data.

It’s clear the governor cares more about the optics of signing a bill that would delay redistricting than actually doing what’s necessary to ensure fair and legal maps.

When Fear Guides Colleges

More and more universities have been incorporating radical content to ward off criticism from a small but vocal group of leftists. Just one such ill-conceived effort to appease these radicals occurred recently at UW–River Falls. The university included links to resources on their website titled “Education and Resources for Allies.” The very first resource linked to a page that included articles titled, “In defense of looting,” “Why riots work,” and “Why all cops are bastards.”

Whether you call these types of resources Critical Race Theory or anything else, these sorts of hateful and destructive materials should never be promoted by a responsible and legitimate institution of higher education. Thankfully, former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch uncovered and drew attention to this, and UW–River Falls has since removed the content from their website.

We could use more people who are willing to stand up for what’s right, instead of bending over backward to meet protestors' demands.

“Forensic Audits” and
Improving Elections for the Future

Many states, including Wisconsin, are currently conducting investigations or audits into the November 2020 election to get a full and honest accounting of what occurred and ensure that elections in the future will be more secure than ever before. The purpose of examining what happened is to improve elections moving forward and ensure people are held accountable for any illegal or inappropriate actions. This work is not about overturning the election that has already been decided, it's about fixing the electoral process that many people have lost faith in. 

A “forensic audit” is a well-defined process in the financial sector relating to the way an audit should be conducted when it is likely criminal behavior will be uncovered and evidence needed for the judicial process. Outside of the financial sector, forensic audits are not defined; however, the term has been used recently to describe the application of forensic science to the examination of elections equipment, ballots, and procedures.

This use of the term is new and does not hold any specific meaning for what process must be used when examining an election. Multiple states have entered into some review or investigation of their elections that some people have referred to as a forensic audit; however, each has varied a great deal. I had the opportunity to personally observe the process being applied in Maricopa County, Arizona to verify the results of the election there and I was impressed with their security, transparency, and forensic science being utilized. I’m looking forward to reading the report detailing the results of their audit that is expected sometime in August.

Here in Wisconsin, there are two major investigations being conducted by the legislature into the November 2020 election. The first is a non-partisan Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) audit. These expert programmatic auditors are charged by the legislature with investigating and reporting back on:

• efforts by the Wisconsin Elections Commission to comply with elections laws, including by working with clerks to ensure voter registration data include only eligible voters, and by providing training and guidance to clerks;
• efforts by clerks to comply with elections laws, including by administering elections, processing absentee ballots, and performing recount responsibilities, as well as the observations and concerns of clerks regarding elections administration;
• the use of electronic voting systems, including the methodology and results of the Elections Commission's most recent statutorily required post-election audit and the actions taken as a result of this audit; and
• General Election-related complaints filed with the Elections Commission and clerks, as well as how those complaints were addressed.

These auditors will have access to any materials they require to complete a full report on these issues. Similar to a criminal investigation, there are no updates available during the course of the audit because by law, the Legislative Audit Bureau’s work is confidential while in progress and performed independently of the Legislature. The LAB anticipates that the audit will be complete and the audit report will be published in the fall of 2021.

The second investigation is being conducted by a special group formed by Assembly Speaker Vos to investigate potential irregularities or illegalities in the 2020 presidential election. This group is managed by former State Supreme Court Justice (and former Ashland County District Attorney) Michael Gableman and includes three retired police officers. This group will have the power to subpoena information and materials in their preparation of the report to the legislature and may also refer any illegal activity they uncover to the proper law enforcement authorities. Since these highly qualified individuals spent their careers investigating crimes in Wisconsin, they have the unique ability to shine some much-needed light on our elections and do everything that is necessary to prove beyond any doubt whether or not there are cracks in our system.

Whether you call it forensic or not, I’m pushing for the investigations in Wisconsin to be thorough enough to uncover any illegal activity and restore faith in our elections for everyone. We all deserve fair and transparent elections free from doubt about their veracity. The seed of doubt has been sown and only an exhaustive and legitimate investigation of our elections will restore the faith our system needs for it to succeed.