Right-wing election observers cause disruptions in Milwaukee, Glendale polling places

By A.J. Bayatpour

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    GLENDALE, Wisconsin (WDJT) — Conservative election observers tied to an ongoing lawsuit challenging Wisconsin’s absentee ballot laws, as well as past efforts to overturn the 2020 election, caused disruptions at multiple polling places and ballot processing sites in Glendale and Milwaukee, according to officials in those cities.

Glendale Mayor Bryan Kennedy said at each of the city’s three polling locations, election observers signed in as members of the Republican Party, “concerned citizens,” or other organizations, including H.O.T. Government, whose members support former President Donald Trump and were tied to past efforts to oust Assembly Speaker Robin Vos over their belief he hadn’t done enough to investigate Mr. Trump’s baseless claims of a stolen election.

Tuesday’s special election was a primary for the 4th district state Senate seat, which opened after former state Sen. Lena Taylor resigned to become a Milwaukee County judge.

“These folks were raising every single issue you could think of, including things that are currently tied up in litigation, for which there is no response, there is no answer,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy said the process intended to let voters speak for themselves was challenged repeatedly. Kennedy said observers claimed poll workers were not announcing names loudly, observers weren’t allowed close enough to the absentee ballots, and eventually started arguing with the chief inspector at polling sites.

Glendale police later said in a release one woman was ordered to leave the Bavarian Bierhaus polling site, while a man was told to leave a polling place at Good Hope Elementary School.

“I think it’s despicable behavior to disrupt the proceedings,” said Kennedy. “They began challenging every single ballot.”

Paulina Gutierrez, director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, said observers began challenging every mailed-in ballot application at the city’s central count location, where all absentee ballots are opened and tabulated.

“They were attempting to challenge whole wards, multiple ballots, based on mail-in ballots,” Gutierrez said.

Harry Wait, a leader of H.O.T. Government, said the mass challenges were connected to an ongoing lawsuit in Marinette County. The suit claims the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) is breaking state law by allowing voters to request absentee ballots from the state’s MyVote website and return them without including a printed and signed confirmation letter stating they requested the ballot.

WEC maintains that form exists in the form of an application that is printed on absentee ballot envelopes. The envelopes contain returned ballots and require a voter and witness signature.

“Every step of the way, WEC has to be challenged because they’ve shown not to be in compliance with law,” Wait said. “This whole MyVote system is set up for fraud, not for convenience; it’s set up for fraud.”

There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud connected to use of the MyVote website. Wait is awaiting trial on 2022 election fraud charges; he’s admitted to using the site to request absentee ballots belonging to Vos and Racine Mayor Cory Mason. Wait has said he did so to prove a point about the system.

The Marinette County case is still open, and the only ruling thus far is an injunction banning WEC from requiring clerks to use the new absentee ballot forms. WEC has responded by defending the forms and recommending clerks still use them.

One of the attorneys representing the plaintiff in the lawsuit is Dan Eastman, a Mequon lawyer who was involved in the 2020 “Kraken” lawsuit that sought to overturn the election by throwing out absentee ballots cast in Milwaukee and Dane counties, the state’s two biggest and most liberal counties.

“The case is still pending, and so, we continue to work on best practices, and if that case comes to a decision, we will wait for the guidance from WEC and our attorneys and make decisions there,” Gutierrez said. “But at this point, it’s business as usual.”

Kennedy said around 10 a.m., poll inspectors paused their processing of absentee ballots because of the multiple challenges. Kennedy said observers told poll workers they would be back in November during the presidential election.

“I fully expect that they are practicing right now for what we are going to see happening in future elections happening this year, and certainly in November.”

Gordon Mueller, a lifelong registered voter in Glendale, said he’s worried about the Democratic process being challenged at polling sites.

“The election process is explained to us since we walk in, we know what we’re doing. There’s no need for that and something like that is very upsetting,” said Mueller.

He said voters want the ability to cast their ballots peacefully.

“We get the right to vote and not be interfered with,” Mueller said.

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