Wisconsin: Protections Against Intimidation of Voters and Election Workers

Voters in Wisconsin have the right to vote free from intimidation under federal and state law.footnote1_vni0G5NR8ixwsyruilmhkBObm94VmG10Xt7AyUtuBYE_w4gzTugtFFwF1 See, e.g., 18 U.S.C. §§ 241, 594; 52 U.S.C. § 10101(b); Wis. Stat. § 12.09. Federal law broadly prohibits intimidation, threats, or coercion throughout every stage of the election process;footnote1_QY2dUiYlF4pPLu3rzJo7Dn6zjiQ5N6UWuUWFNXebnLM_mlRo8NeyHsWn1 See U.S. Department of Justice, Voting Rights Fact Sheet (Sept. 2024), https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1366636/dl (summarizing federal laws that protect against intimidation). more information on the federal protections that apply to all states can be found here. In addition, the following actions are specifically prohibited by Wisconsin law:

• Making use of or threatening to make use of force, violence, or restraint to induce or compel any person to vote or refrain from voting.footnote2_6xHOKhoVINbn3hPSB3D7vDhHqdpT4W5f1k3lgJ3ByDo_aii4jg1j94t22 Wis. Stat. § 12.09(1).
• Impeding or preventing the free exercise of the franchise at an election by abduction, duress, or any fraudulent device or contrivance.footnote3_RaGWlx7uSceItS2Vc78rJcI60MZo1trI-edWS8NY4_b1roG3V5J9fF3 Wis. Stat. § 12.09(2).
• Compelling, inducing, or prevailing upon a voter to vote or refrain from voting for or against a particular candidate or referendum.footnote4_RyuOIol8ODPgG0LBb3iIdgHhopxvkxNGRCGyHSdQ2Y8_mlrEmLEobxVw4 Wis. Stat. § 12.09(3).
• Soliciting a person to show how their vote is cast.footnote2_SChRtinRGhTKFgFtsSKWlWpd67DD6ambPIYk1Hcqz7U_j6mA95Ls9Ece2 Wis. Stat. § 12.13(3)(q).
• Refusing to obey an inspector’s lawful order; engaging in disorderly behavior at or near a polling place; or interrupting or disturbing the voting or canvassing proceedings.footnote3_io2xiBF3dcBVRQFXyAdiy6mee9MzJ6OQqdBZHj7WNxM_r4k8SV6r85h53 Wis. Stat. 12.13(3)(x).

The below addresses the laws and policies that serve as guardrails against specific threats of intimidation.

Voter Challenges

Although Wisconsin permits voters and election officials to challenge another voter’s eligibility,footnote5_xahn8Xy4tbWK-UqZrNJIJ1N3tHc98zVjgohCeqLTE_c1wCs46hkBSh5 Wis. Stat. § 6.925. state law also provides for some guardrails. For example, challenges must be “for cause.”footnote6_xahn8Xy4tbWK-UqZrNJIJ1N3tHc98zVjgohCeqLTE_h8kPI9pTngk56 Wis. Stat. § 6.925. Individuals who abuse the challenge process may be subject to sanctions, including removal from the voting area.footnote7_aiOyvrNITk6WFX04trKG6sQ9tZZRosoOUefGG2iXg_xNHIhlLjd2c57 Wis. Admin. Code § EL 9.02. A challenged voter who answers the poll worker’s questions, swears to the required affirmation, and is determined by the poll worker to meet the voting requirements can vote a regular ballot.footnote8_svwZit7a0bKd1oMVpnBvKTw7UxZTPrSXHYst-hbRK6E_bnrf77lpmWnK8 Wis. Stat. § 6.94.

The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) provides additional safeguards to protect voters from mass challenges before an election:

• The NVRA expressly recognizes that National Change of Address information is not sufficient on its own to serve as the basis for canceling a voter’s registration.footnote9_PLl6vSUctQ9PTGM3shI44UyFWwX0znRa3QTtakW9uDg_yK6BjXfbvVOi9 52 U.S.C. § 20507(c)(1)(B).
• The NVRA prohibits the systematic removal of voters from the rolls within 90 days of a federal election.footnote10_gMU4pKaaGGtR0djXke9owYAHAATVZbmZt7GBXP2Bc7Y_r1OOkTxbg9qK10 52 U.S.C. § 20507(c)(2)(A).

The Brennan Center and All Voting Is Local published a detailed resource on the limits on voter eligibility challenges in Wisconsin here.

Intimidation of Poll Workers and Election Officials

In addition to federal protections against the intimidation of election workers, Wisconsin law prohibits any person from impeding or preventing the free exercise of the franchise at an election, engaging in disorderly behavior at or near a polling place, or interrupting or disturbing the voting or canvassing proceedings.footnote11_q0omG2oSyqrWYNz9-Vq1rN6bmrTBWIfYgCVksQb0xa0_cfF99H2rfFG611  Wis. Stat. §§ 12.09(2); 12.13(3)(x). It is also a felony to physically harm a public officer either to influence their actions or as a result of some official action taken.footnote12_DEnDHHNvSfCwPWIp2JgGfEbcFWCMnDq4KSkf9W95A_kD2UC3L6Tm6k12 Wis. Stat. § 940.20(4).

Voter Intimidation by Poll Workers

The Brennan Center and All Voting is Local published a detailed resource on the rules and constraints for Wisconsin poll workers here.

Intimidation by Poll Watchers

In addition to Wisconsin’s voter intimidation laws detailed above, state law places limits on who may serve as an observer and what they may and may not do:footnote13_dqvkgmAdF04uQZDM2glUz4lhasOXrdrTjQFHrDBL2bc_yWpcQJnoGkBK13 Note that poll watchers in Wisconsin are called “observers.”

• Any member of the public, except for a candidate on the ballot, may be an observer, subject to the limitations imposed by the lead election worker.footnote14_Jt-1VBdizZpxllUvTj6ANNHTyR-b-ncQPN2y9vI9slg_eWULWbXC7DVO14 Wis. Stat. § 7.41(1).
• Municipal clerks can limit the number of observers representing the same organization who are allowed to serve at a time and may also limit the areas that observers are allowed to access within a polling place.footnote15_t30ZT0fHpnKx-87Xk0An7S5YBmy-0Q3061ub4KdlDao_gWvcDhRl8Rin15 Wis. Stat. § 7.41(1)–(2).
• Observers must present photo identification to the head poll worker upon arrival and sign in with their full name in the election observer log.footnote16_Jt-1VBdizZpxllUvTj6ANNHTyR-b-ncQPN2y9vI9slg_cIw92gHLOEUZ16 Wis. Stat. § 7.41(1).
• Observers must wear a badge or tag identifying themselves as an “election observer” when inside a polling place.footnote17_urRQsTQ7VmhWO-44CxlyM98v4qzor99hKY49YBPXkXI_q7ybCO4Me1qE17 Wisconsin Elections Commission, Wisconsin Election Observers: Rules-at-a-Glance, updated March 2022, https://elections.wi.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/2022–03/Election%2520Observer%2520Rules%2520at-a-Glance%2520March%25202022.pdf.
• Observers may not interact directly with voters unless requested.footnote18_jXiArsLy3EUeEFuzH70DTDVpiYhGz81l70eSJJ1wFk_vIZNAqEa2kz518 Wisconsin Elections Commission, Wisconsin Election Observers: Rules-at-a-Glance, updated March 2022.
• Observers must remain within the area designated for observation by the main poll worker.footnote19_eE9yIP3r73r38ciA-6IVFvmJ6uOJhN-5cDaR1uXU4_lfC29f2k6WND19 Wis. Stat. § 7.41(2).
• Observers are prohibited from engaging in any form of electioneering, including wearing any materials that may influence an election.footnote20_jXiArsLy3EUeEFuzH70DTDVpiYhGz81l70eSJJ1wFk_mG4EVL9Z5Sc820 Wisconsin Elections Commission, Wisconsin Election Observers: Rules-at-a-Glance, updated March 2022.
• Observers are prohibited from handling any official documents or viewing confidential information on the poll list.footnote21_jXiArsLy3EUeEFuzH70DTDVpiYhGz81l70eSJJ1wFk_lpVVkscd3WLS21 Wisconsin Elections Commission, Wisconsin Election Observers: Rules-at-a-Glance, updated March 2022.
• Observers are prohibited from using video or still cameras during voting hours.footnote22_jXiArsLy3EUeEFuzH70DTDVpiYhGz81l70eSJJ1wFk_lZRjg6fP6dl722 Wisconsin Elections Commission, Wisconsin Election Observers: Rules-at-a-Glance, updated March 2022.
• Election officials and poll workers may remove any observer who disrupts the operation of a polling place or clerk’s office.footnote23_QsDXUGzyY2XH7TIWruBzPfYtuwQB90AfTSEm4OY0M_eT8F59PALUD323 Wis. Stat. §§ 7.37(2), 7.41(3).

The Brennan Center and All Voting Is Local published a detailed resource on the rules and constraints on Wisconsin poll watchers here.

State and Local Law Enforcement

In cities of more than 500,000 – currently only the city of Milwaukee – the chief of police is required to station a police officer at any polling place designated by the municipal board of election commissioners.footnote24_mVeds3vkQR5NT8EaVW1z-jON0JEvf8zE5CPVnAA7hQI_pzSeNznecCNO24 Wis. Stat. § 7.22(5).

Guns at Polling Places

Wisconsin law prohibits firearms in certain buildings often used as polling places and drop box locations, including schools and courthouses.footnote25_iel8uoI6WyBePREG4IwHlU5clDEsTtry2Zs1Rqi5f8_sfGyhgoiSvKv25 Wis. Stat. §§ 941.235, 948.605, 175.60(16)(a)(6)–(7).

Even at locations where firearms are not expressly prohibited, firearm carry may constitute unlawful intimidation. Such conduct may consist of carrying a visible firearm near a polling location or at a drop box or vote-counting site, displaying a concealed firearm during a discussion or argument with a voter or election worker, or approaching a voter or election worker while displaying a firearm.

Door-to-door Intimidation

Wisconsin and federal law prohibit canvassing efforts that are used to intimidate voters.footnote26_y-hunlgSSvvWQ1cgjM5O3DOcfibk9-GIxxxl1rN7-s_eIQSWJUbrZeu26 18 U.S.C. §§ 594, 241; Wis. Stat. § 12.09. Any voter who receives a visit from a privately organized canvassing group does not have to answer any questions and should report any incidents of intimidation to their local officials.