Wisconsin GOP Votes to Terminate Leading Election Official as Denialists Firmly Establish Control

Wisconsin’s top elections official, Meagan Wolfe, faced another setback as the Republican-controlled state senate voted to fire her by a party line vote of 22 to 11. The move to remove Wolfe, a respected and non-partisan leader, has been disputed by legal experts and the Wisconsin attorney general. The decision to remove her will likely be determined in court.

Wolfe, who was appointed to head the Wisconsin elections commission in 2018 and confirmed by a unanimous vote in the state senate in 2019, enjoyed wide support from Republicans before becoming a target for conspiracy theories and criticism surrounding the 2020 election. The pandemic-era policies implemented by the commission, such as temporary adjustments to nursing home voting, have come under fire from Republicans. However, it is important to note that Wolfe serves at the direction of the commission and is not responsible for making the decisions that are being used against her.

The attacks on Wolfe started after the 2020 election, in which Donald Trump lost to President Joe Biden by just over 20,000 votes in Wisconsin. Groups and individuals spreading falsehoods about widespread voter fraud in the election have targeted Wolfe, publishing misinformation and allegedly stalking her. State lawmakers have joined in the criticism, focusing on pandemic-related policies and calling for Wolfe’s removal. Democrats on the bipartisan commission blocked a vote to recommend her reappointment to the state senate, anticipating that she would be fired. Republicans moved forward with reappointment proceedings, but legal opinions stated that the senate had no authority to confirm or reject the appointment.

During the floor session on Thursday, Democratic senators objected to the vote, describing it as a “shameless continued attack on our elections.” They warned of the wide-ranging implications of Wolfe’s removal and how it would delegitimize genuine concerns about elections in favor of falsehoods and conspiracy theories. Republicans, on the other hand, blamed Democrats on the elections commission for blocking Wolfe’s nomination to the senate.

The ongoing proceedings have raised concerns among elections officials in Wisconsin. They worry that the proceedings will fuel more misinformation about elections and that their work will be negatively impacted if Wolfe leaves her position or is removed from office. The possible vacancy in leadership would also disrupt the staff of the elections commission, who provide technical assistance to clerks across the state.

It remains to be seen whether legal action will be taken in response to the senate’s decision to oust Wolfe. The outcome of this case will have significant implications for the administration of elections in Wisconsin and will highlight the influence of election deniers and right-wing conspiracy theorists in the state’s politics.

Original Story at www.theguardian.com – 2023-09-14 18:39:00