As a result of the federal lawsuit filed by Voces de la Frontera and five allied organizations, 113,906 absentee ballots that arrived after Election Day were counted and contributed heavily to the successful election results.
Our six nonpartisan voter advocacy organizations came together in March to file the only lawsuit that asked for the election to be postponed. While we did not achieve that goal, we are proud of two things we accomplished.
First, our lawsuit produced a Court order that gave voters six additional days to get their ballots to election authorities. Between April 8 and April 13, according to state records, absentee ballots continued to arrive at election offices, resulting in the counting of 113,906 ballots of voters who otherwise would have been disenfranchised.
Second, we fixed the eyes of all voters in our state on the importance of voting and participating in our democracy. Wisconsin voters shattered absentee voting records while hundreds of thousands of other heroic citizens braved the pandemic, standing in lines, most for hours, to have their say in the future of their government.
All fair-minded observers recognize it was outrageous that Republican legislators and two Supreme Courts forced Wisconsin voters to choose between their health and their right to vote last week. Wisconsinites and people across our country will never forget what happened to Wisconsin voters, especially those living in neighborhoods ravaged by the pandemic.
We are proud that we stood by all Wisconsin voters and helped re-enfranchise those voters that our Republican governmental leaders tried to silence.
Thanks to all the members and supporters of Voces who made this possible.
The organizations that combined to file the Lewis v. Knudson lawsuit are: Voces de la Frontera, Souls to the Polls, League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, American Federation of Teachers Local 212, Service Employees International Union Wisconsin State Council.
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