Image Credit: © Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ahead of Wisconsin’s high-profile elections on Tuesday, an election integrity watchdog, Fair Elections Wisconsin (FEW), has raised concerns about nearly 5,000 allegedly illegal voter registrations in Milwaukee.
The group claims these registrations were used to cast ballots in the November election, and their challenge to the city’s voter rolls has sparked controversy.
On Wednesday, FEW President Justin Gavery submitted a list of 4,878 allegedly illegal voter registrations to the Milwaukee Election Commission (MEC).
According to the group’s review of data from the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) and the U.S. Postal Service’s National Change of Address database, the registrations involved voters who had either moved out of the county or state before the October 24, 2024, deadline for voter registration.
Among the 4,878 registrations in question, FEW found that 281 voters had moved out of the county before the cutoff date, while 377 had moved out of state.
Additionally, the review found several other discrepancies, such as 2,926 addresses with missing or incorrect apartment/suite/unit numbers, 540 voters who had moved from their registered address, and 501 physical addresses that had been changed to P.O. boxes.
Other issues included 217 voters who had no forwarding addresses on file, 24 who used commercial addresses (such as UPS or FedEx stores), and 11 who registered using a U.S. Post Office address.
FEW formally challenged these voter registrations, calling for an investigation into the irregularities and urging the commission to take appropriate action.
The group’s legal challenge asked that those who had registered unlawfully—such as with a UPS store address—be prosecuted, that postcards be sent to correct any errors, and that the names be moved to inactive status if they were found to be incorrect.
Gavery told Just the News on Thursday that the commission initially attempted to dismiss the group’s challenges.
However, after mentioning the potentially illegal votes cast in the November election, FEW was able to push the issue further.
“We had them cornered, so they did a closed session,” Gavery said.
After about 30 minutes of waiting, the commission reconvened and informed FEW that their challenges would not be accepted.
When Gavery pressed the commission on whether they were interested in investigating potential voter fraud, he said the response was dismissive.
“Meeting adjourned,” he was told.
Gavery clarified that the voter registrations had not been cross-referenced to determine political party affiliation, so the issue is not partisan.
“This isn’t a partisan issue,” he said, pointing out that the registrations could involve both Republican and Democratic voters.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission did not respond to a request for comment on Friday regarding the challenges.
As the state gears up for elections on April 1, including high-profile races for the Wisconsin Supreme Court and a proposed constitutional amendment on voter ID, the issue of voter integrity continues to be a topic of concern.
Voter ID is already required by Wisconsin state law, but the upcoming vote will decide whether to enshrine this requirement in the state constitution.
State Rep. Rob Kreibich, who supports the constitutional amendment, wrote in January that the amendment would protect the integrity of Wisconsin’s voting system.
“For clarification, photo ID is already required by Wisconsin State Statute. But a ‘yes’ vote would amend the Wisconsin Constitution to include this requirement,” he explained.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court race is another closely watched contest, with Democratic-backed Judge Susan Crawford facing off against Republican-backed Judge Brad Schimel.
Polls show the race is tight, with both candidates tied at 47% support among likely voters, according to a March poll by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce.
The election has seen significant spending, with reports showing that the race could reach $100 million in total expenditures.
More than $17 million has been spent by groups supporting Schimel, including contributions from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has also donated $3 million to the Wisconsin Republican Party.
Crawford has raised more than $25 million, with support from progressive figures like George Soros and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
With early voting already surpassing previous years’ totals by nearly 50%, the race is shaping up to be one of the most expensive and contentious in the state’s history.
Early voting ends Sunday, and Wisconsin voters will have a chance to decide the future of their state’s Supreme Court and constitutional amendments.
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