One Wisconsin Now Statements on Nickolaus Investigation, Impending Voter Suppression

MADISON, Wis. — One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross released the following statements regarding the Government Accountability Board’s decision that Republican Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus violated state law during the ballot counting on the night of the David Prosser-JoAnne Kloppenburg Supreme Court race; and the ongoing anti-voter efforts by the Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican-controlled state legislature. These include attacks on student voting rights and the right to hold elected officials accountable through the recall process, which Republicans are expected to muscle through the committee in the coming days.

“The independent investigator’s report made it clear that changes need to be made in Waukesha County to restore people’s faith in the integrity of the vote. It is critical that law enforcement and election protection officials continue to monitor Republican County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus to ensure the wide margins of victory shown in the results of Waukesha County votes are legitimate each and every time.

“Gov. Scott Walker and his allies are so desperate to protect their corporate-funded power, they have attacked the fundamental right of American citizenship — the right to vote. The Republican Jim Crow voter suppression bill will keep seniors, students, minorities, and working people from exercising their constitutional right to vote in the state of Wisconsin. This is a dark day for democracy when partisans appear ready to reject the pro-voter rights recommendations of an independent agency charged with administering our elections. Our young people are expected to fight and die in our wars, pay taxes and build our future, but the Republicans are rigging the voting rules to deny them the right to vote. By taking away our voting rights, Walker and the Republicans have removed Wisconsin from the United States of America.

“From Gov. Walker’s Department of Transportation sending out directives to specifically keep people uninformed of the availability of free identifications for voting purposes to the lack of substantial resources to educate the public about the nation’s most restrictive anti-voter bill, it is clear Wisconsin is not equipped to administer this Republican disenfranchisement directive. When legal voters are denied their right to vote, the Republicans’ effort to rig the elections in their favor is going to cost the state taxpayers millions of dollars in legal fees. The cost to democracy, however, will be even greater.”

Research and analysis of the impact of the Republican voter suppression bill and the likely disenfranchisement is available here.