(The Center Square) – Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul says the probability of voter fraud in the state is low.
“People can count on the results we’ll have from this election,” Kaul said. “The chances for voter fraud are extremely low.”
But they are not zero.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission issued a report in September claiming the commission referred 19 cases of voter fraud to local prosecutors between February 2019 and August of this year. Nearly half of those cases involved people trying to vote twice.
Kaul said his focus, instead of fraud, is to make sure the polls will be safe in November.
“It is critical that every lawfully cast ballot is counted and that voters feel safe at their polling locations,” Kaul said. “Voter intimidation is illegal. If someone breaks the laws that protect against voter intimidation, they should be prepared to spend time behind bars.”
Kaul did not specify who he is worried about when it comes to voter intimidation. Wisconsin is one of several states that saw a violent summer in some cities. Angry mobs marched, destroyed, rioted and even burned things in Madison, Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, and Kenosha.
“Voter intimidation is a crime. Wisconsin law prohibits anyone from using or threatening force to compel someone to vote, to keep them from voting, or to influence their voting decision,” Kaul said in a statement. “Wisconsin law also prohibits anyone from using duress or fraud to impede or prevent someone from freely exercising their right to vote. The law not only prohibits individuals from taking any of these actions personally, but it also prohibits individuals from having a third party take these actions.”
Examples of voter intimidation include:
Brandishing or displaying firearms in an intimidating or threatening manner in or near a polling place;Engaging in disorderly behavior in or near a polling place; orPreventing access to a polling place by making threats or engaging in intimidating behavior.
Kaul said anyone who experiences voter intimidation should call the police.
There are already people at the polls in Wisconsin. Early, in-person voting in the state started Tuesday.
By Benjamin Yount | The Center Square
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Reposted with permission
