Wisconsin’s Democratic governor says he would sign current GOP-backed ballot pre-processing bill

By HARM VENHUIZEN
Associated Press/Report for America

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers says he will sign a bill that would allow elections officials to process absentee ballots the day before an election if the measure passes the Republican-led Legislature in its current form. The Republican-backed bill passed by the state Assembly in a bipartisan vote on Thursday is meant to make election night easier for local clerks as well as ensure that large numbers of absentee ballot results aren’t reported late on election night. That often happens in large cities such as Milwaukee and Madison, and late-night reporting in 2020 prompted false claims of election fraud from former President Donald Trump and his supporters. The state Senate will next consider the bill.