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The Republican-backed candidate in Wisconsin’s intently watched state Supreme Court docket race has resurfaced long-debunked issues about voting fraud due to the late reporting of ballots in Milwaukee simply two weeks earlier than the April 1 election.
Brad Schimel, a former Republican lawyer normal, spoke of the potential of “baggage of ballots” and fraud in Milwaukee throughout an interview Tuesday on conservative speak radio. Schimel faces Democratic-backed Susan Crawford within the April 1 election with majority management of the Wisconsin Supreme Court docket at stake.
Schimel, in an interview on WISN-AM, mentioned his supporters have to “get our votes banked, make this too large to rig so we don’t have to fret that at 11:30 in Milwaukee, they’re going to seek out baggage of ballots that they forgot to place into the machines.”
Schimel mentioned that occurred in 2018 and in November “when (U.S. Senate candidate) Eric Hovde was forward all evening, after which unexpectedly, Milwaukee County modified that.”
Republicans and Democrats alike, together with state and Milwaukee election leaders, warned within the run-up to the November election that Milwaukee absentee ballots could be reported late and trigger an enormous inflow of Democratic votes. Milwaukee is the state’s most populated metropolis and is closely Democratic. Its chief elections official was chosen with bipartisan assist.
The reporting of these absentee ballots swung the 2020 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden, fueling baseless conspiracy theories that the election had been stolen from President Donald Trump.
Milwaukee’s absentee ballots are counted at a central location and reported abruptly, typically effectively after midnight on Election Day. Elections officers for years have made clear that these ballots are reported later than traditional because of the sheer quantity that should be counted and since state legislation doesn’t permit them to be processed till polls open.
A bipartisan invoice to permit for processing previous to Election Day died within the Republican-controlled Senate final yr. Republicans, who’ve managed the Legislature since 2011, routinely complain about sluggish processing in Milwaukee however haven’t handed payments to permit for speedier counting.
In 2018, the reporting of greater than 47,000 absentee ballots after midnight put Democrat Tony Evers forward of then-Gov. Scott Walker. Evers went on to win, and Walker criticized the late reporting, saying it blindsided him.
And in November, Hovde mentioned he was “shocked” by the reporting of greater than 108,000 ballots in Milwaukee early within the morning after the election in his defeat to Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
Schimel mentioned within the radio interview he didn’t know what occurred.
“I don’t know if there was fraud there,” Schimel mentioned. “There’s no manner for me to know that. All I do know is that this: We have to flip our votes out. That’s the very best insulation we now have towards any potential fraud, is simply get our individuals to the polls.”
Requested about his issues throughout an look later Tuesday on the Milwaukee Rotary Membership, Schimel mentioned he introduced up fraud as a result of voters typically ask him the right way to assure election integrity.
“I inform individuals, by following the principles,” Schimel mentioned. “After which I inform them, ‘Right here’s the easiest way to ensure your vote isn’t stolen: Go use it.’ That’s the reply.”
But regardless of his issues, Schimel mentioned: “I’ll all the time settle for the outcomes of the election.”
Crawford’s spokesperson, Derrick Honeyman, mentioned Schimel was “dabbling in conspiracy theories to please his ally, Elon Musk, and it’s unbecoming of a choose and candidate for the state’s excessive court docket.”
Teams funded by billionaire Musk have contributed greater than $11 million to assist Schimel’s marketing campaign. Crawford is backed by a number of billionaire Democrats, together with philanthropist George Soros and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Schimel’s feedback drew criticism from the Democracy Protection Challenge, a bipartisan coalition selling fact about elections that features former Republican Legal professional Common J.B. Van Hollen.
“There is no such thing as a proof of fraud in Milwaukee, however the failure of the state to permit early relying on absentee ballots earlier than the shut of polls feeds into conspiracy theories,” the group mentioned in a press release.
The election comes because the court docket faces circumstances on abortion, public sector unions, voting guidelines and congressional district boundaries.
The court docket is at present managed 4-3 by liberals, however one among them is retiring, creating the battle for almost all.
Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit and nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletters to get our investigative tales and Friday information roundup. This story is revealed in partnership with The Related Press.
