People who want to make it harder for other people to vote scored a win on Tuesday. The Milwaukee Election Commission announced that previous plans to use Miller Park and Fiserv Forum as early in-person voting sites for City of Milwaukee residents from October 20 through November 1 have been scrapped.
“Unfortunately, the addition of these two sites could be legally challenged due to a recent court ruling, and we don’t want to do anything that could risk a City of Milwaukee voter’s ballot being counted,” Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall-Vogg said in a statement.
The court ruling in question is one that set a June 11 deadline for approval of early voting sites. As Urban Milwaukee explains, both Miller Park and Fiserv Forum were added after that deadline.
The decision comes a week after Wisconsin Republican Party chairman Andrew Hitt suggested it would be illegal for players or mascots to be present at Miller Park or Fiserv Forum voting events.
“All of the Bucks’ and Brewers’ athletes and mascots are, of course, beloved of their fans, so their presence at a venue is undoubtedly something of significant value,” Hitt wrote in a letter. “Consequently, it would be inappropriate for them to be at Miller Park or Fiserv Forum while those venues are in use as alternate absentee ballot sites.”
The letter concluded: “If your plans for Fiserv Forum or Miller Park between October 20, 2020, and November 1, 2020, include the presence of individuals or organizations other than electors, election officials, and election observers, please let us know as soon as possible. The Republican Party of Wisconsin looks forward to working with you closely to ensure that election activities at Fiserv Forum and Miller Park comply with all legal requirements so that our fellow Wisconsinites may confidently expect a free and fair election.”
No plans to include players or mascots were ever announced.
“While we were excited to welcome voters to Fiserv Forum to cast their ballots in a safe and accessible way, we remain just as committed to encouraging and educating people to vote and making our voices heard in this election,” Bucks and Fiserv Forum President Peter Feigin said in a statement on Tuesday.