Wisconsin Election History
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Transcript of Wisconsin Election History
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WISCONSIN ELECTION HISTORY
160 Years of Suffrage Leadership
Prepared by Scott Wittkopf, Chair, Forward Institute
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First Constitution considered to be “radical” Gave women right to own property Outlawed commercial banks
Gave the right to vote to immigrants who applied for citizenship
African American suffrage allowed through referendum Adoption failed in 1847 due to powerful banking lobby,
and territorial law gave only white men the right to vote to ratify.
1846 CONSTITUTION
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1848 WISCONSIN CONSTITUTION
Gave the right to vote to: White men Age 21 or older Residents for one year Immigrant men who
applied for citizenship Non-Tribal American
Indians, recognized as citizens by US government
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1849 REFERENDUM Voters approved a referendum 5,265 to 4,075
giving African American men the right to vote Poll workers effectively barred African American
men from voting in elections after the referendum
Controversy created because “less than a majority of all votes cast” in the election approved the referendum
Nelson Dewey, Governor 1848-1852
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1865 EZEKIEL GILLESPIE
Ezekiel Gillespie was barred from registering to vote in an 1865 election. He took election inspectors to court, and his case advanced immediately to the State Supreme Court.
Represented by Civil Rights attorney Byron Paine.
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1866 GILLESPIE V. PALMER ET AL
Unanimous State Supreme Court ruling agreed with adoption of 1849 referendum argued by Gillespie
Recognition of African American male right to vote as of 1849 in Wisconsin
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1869 FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT The Fifteenth Amendment to the US Constitution
guaranteed African American males the right to vote Three years after the Gillespie Court decision in
Wisconsin granted African American male suffrage
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1908 AMERICAN INDIAN RESTRICTIONS
Wisconsin enacted law prohibiting any American Indian from voting if they lived on a reservation
Turned back voting rights for thousands of American Indians in Wisconsin
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1919 WISCONSIN RATIFIES 19TH AMENDMENT
Wisconsin is the first state to ratify the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, giving women the right to vote
Carrie Chapman Catt is national women’s suffrage movement leader from Wisconsin
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1920 - 19TH AMENDMENT BECOMES LAW
Women are granted the right to vote
President Wilson signs the 19th Amendment
Anti-Woman’s suffrage poster
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1924 “INDIAN CITIZENSHIP ACT”
Granted full US citizenship and voting rights to America’s indigenous people, called “Indians” in this Act
Filled a legal loophole in the Fourteenth Amendment used to deny Native Americans’ rights
President Coolidge with Osage nation members at White House signing
ceremony
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1935 PROGRESSIVE REFORMS
Most other states still had literacy, language, or property requirements
Wisconsin makes historic voting rights expansion: Every citizen over 21 and state resident for one
year eligible to vote 10 day in-district residency requirement Not convicted of bribery or wagering on elections
Governor Philip LaFollette (son of Robert M “Fighting Bob” LaFollette)
addresses the state Legislature
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1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT
Landmark Federal Civil Rights legislation
Prohibited “voting qualification, or prerequisite to voting” previously used to disenfranchise minority voters
Gave Federal Government authority to enforce voting rights violations against minorities
President Johnson and Martin Luther King, Jr. at the 1965
VRA signing
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1976 “ELECTION DAY REGISTRATION”
Wisconsin legislation package modernized voter registration and pioneered voter poll access
Allows for “same day” registration at polling places
Mandatory in cities with populations greater than 5,000
Wisconsin still leads the nation in voter turnout due to Election Day Registration
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1993 “NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION ACT”
Federal Legislation included “Motor Voter” requiring registration at state DMV sites
Wisconsin Election Day Registration expansion statewide to qualify for exemption
Saves the state millions of dollars in administrative costs
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2002 “HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT”
Provided largely for equipment modernization
Response to controversy over 2000 Presidential election
Established the US “Election Assistance Commission”
Mandatory uniform voter registration and reporting statewide
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2006 STATEWIDE VOTER REGISTRATION SYSTEM
Created as required by “Help America Vote Act”
Election Administration package managed by the Government Accountability Board
Statewide, central database of voter information
Interacts with other state databases
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2011 WISCONSIN ACT 23 “VOTER ID”
Restricts registration to those with valid, state-issued photo ID
District Residency extended from 10 to 28 days Requires electors to sign poll list Ends “voter corroboration” for electors without
proof of residence Repealed laws enacted as early as 1935
Percent of Wisconsin Population
without driver’s license
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2012 ACT 23 INJUNCTIONS
Two separate judges issue injunctions declaring the photo ID portion of Act 23 unconstitutional
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has twice declined to bypass Appeals Courts, still pending
While the photo ID requirement has been stayed, the rest of the law remains in effect.
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FORWARD IN WISCONSIN ELECTIONS
Wisconsin leads the nation in voter turnout
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Election Day Registration saves Wisconsin taxpayers millions of
dollars
Estimated G.A.B. costs to end Election Day Registration in Wisconsin
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WISCONSIN HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE LEADER
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VOTE IN WISCONSIN
Presentation sources: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/
http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/election-day-registration
http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/photo-id
http://gab.wi.gov/