WILL represents Wisconsin voters in voting access litigation

WILL warns: Last-minute decision could raise doubts about the 2024 presidential election

The news: The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) has filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf of a Green Party voter and a Libertarian (who wishes to consider third-party presidential candidates who could be excluded by the process proposed in the petition) in a case brought by a Democratic National Committee (DNC) staffer to exclude Green Party candidate Jill Stein from the Wisconsin presidential ballot.

The DNC filed a lawsuit in the Wisconsin Supreme Court just days before ballots were printed. This lawsuit is undemocratic and the relief sought is unprecedented. WILL filed this brief after an expedited deadline set by the Wisconsin Supreme Court that gave the parties and amicus only one day to resolve key legal issues.

The quotes: Skylar Croy, Associate Counsel at WILL, added, “This legal maneuver by the DNC is a real disservice to democracy and the Wisconsin Supreme Court should not tolerate it. The DNC is trying to rush the Supreme Court litigation process to rig the election in favor of their candidate. The court's decision to take this case should not be taken lightly, and it is critical that they consider the gravity of such a last-minute decision and the potential to sow doubt about the election.”

WILL client Travis Kobs stated, “I strongly oppose the measures proposed by Mr. Strange on behalf of the Democratic Party. I believe that voters' right to elect candidates who align with their beliefs should not be restricted, as I believe Mr. Strange intends to do. I ask the court to guarantee that our voting access in Wisconsin is not limited to the Democratic and Republican parties.”

WILL customer Rita Maniotis said, “I am a proud member of the Green Party and vote for candidates who represent my values ​​and interests. It is honestly unbelievable that the Democratic Party views my vote as a pawn in their political game.”

Additional background: In this letter, we explain that the Supreme Court of the United States has declared that access to ballots must be truly open to all under reasonable conditions. The DNC proposes a new interpretation of Wis. Stat. § 8.18, which states that would effectively prevent any small or new party from running in the presidential election. That's not reasonable.

We further argue that the DNC has not alleged that the nomination papers are deficient; rather, it appears to be claiming that the Green Party's presidential and vice presidential candidates, Jill Stein and Butch Ware, are either “definitely … ineligible for nomination or election” or unqualified to hold office. However, they meet all of the requirements set forth in the United States Constitution. Wisconsin has no authority to supplement these requirements set forth in the U.S. Constitution.

About WILL: WILL is a respected and reputable legal and policy center in Wisconsin. We have litigated and won numerous cases before the Wisconsin Supreme Court and other courts. We have also received national recognition for our work in assessing the 2020 presidential election, and our comprehensive report is often used to debunk claims that the election was “stolen.”

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Amicus Brief filed on 08/23/24
Application submitted on 23.08.24