by Benjamin Yount
There is a new warning about texts to voters in Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission said some voters are getting texts telling them that their voter registration or voter information is wrong.
“The WEC has heard recently from concerned voters and local election officials regarding unsolicited communications that may provide inaccurate or misleading information,” the commission said. “Voters should be cautious about any voting-related communications – including text messages, emails, mailers, phone calls, robocalls, and more – from unfamiliar sources. Sometimes, these misleading communications even appear to mimic communications from an official government source. They often use outdated, incomplete, or simply inaccurate data that they communicate to voters.”
The commission is not saying whether the texts are scams or just incorrect, but all of the texts are from third party groups.
“We can’t stress enough that voters should be very careful when dealing with this type of unsolicited outreach, as the information being put forth is often inaccurate and misleading,” Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe said.
Wolfe said any voter who has questions about their registration or voter information should go to their clerk or the state’s MyVote system.
“The WEC’s MyVote Wisconsin website is the official source of information for voters. Voters can visit MyVote – at MyVote.wi.gov – to find almost anything they need to know about the upcoming election. The MyVote site and the local clerk’s office are always going to be the best path for voters who have any questions,” Wolfe said.
There are also questions about texts that have warned some voters that voting in Wisconsin may be a crime. Those voters are often university students and many of them are living in Wisconsin but also have out-of-state homes.
Republican Congressman Bryan Steil last week said he wants some clarity on whether out-of-state college students can vote in Wisconsin.
“An elector’s residence is defined by their domicile. In other words, the elector’s ‘habitation must be fixed, without any present intent to move, and to which, when absent, the person intends to return.’ In that same vein, Wisconsin law prohibits individuals from becoming a resident if they are present only for temporary purposes. These provisions exist to ensure only permanent residents of Wisconsin can vote in Wisconsin’s elections rather than any temporary visitor. As such, it would appear contrary to Wisconsin law for these IDs to serve as valid proof of residency to register to vote in Wisconsin.”
The commission has not respond to Steil.
– – –
Benjamin Yount is a contributor to The Center Square.
