Changes to voting rules should make it easier, not harder, to vote

There has been no shortage of study and investigation into the most recent presidential election in Wisconsin. A study by the Legislative Audit Bureau found Wisconsin’s election to be safe and secure. That is not in dispute. The report offered some recommendations for the Wisconsin Elections Commission to consider in efforts to make our elections even more safe and secure. Some are using the report as an attempt at validation for their efforts to suppress voting. Some extreme members of the Wisconsin Legislature are calling for the head of the Wisconsin Elections Commission to resign, and even to face criminal charges. Our civil servants should not be treated with such contempt or McCarthy-like tactics. It is strange that calls for changing election rules so often focus on restricting voting. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? We should be making it easier for people to vote with things like automatic voter registration, increased use of absentee ballots and drop boxes. We should be making sure all poll workers are properly trained, and voting booths accessible, particularly to those with disabilities. If we are going to make changes to voting rules, these should be the priorities, rather than finding ways to limit opportunities for all people to participate in our democratic process.