In 2027, Wisconsin Democrats will hold total power over the state government for the first time in 17 years, granting them the capability to revise or repeal numerous voting regulations enacted by Republicans over several years. As Votebeat reported, Democratic leaders are preparing a review of the state’s election code.
When the new legislative session opens, the balance of power in Madison shifts. Rep. Lee Snodgrass and Sen. Mark Spreitzer have spent years being the Democratic point-people on election administration. While party leaders emphasize that concrete bills are still in early development, both legislators have signaled a readiness to act swiftly on top election administration priorities.
Allowing Monday Absentee Ballot Processing
Among the most pressing and widely agreed-upon items is a proposal to permit election officials to begin processing absentee ballots on the Monday before an election. Wisconsin currently forces election workers to wait until the morning of Election Day to open and prepare absentee ballots. That restriction often delays unofficial election results, especially in high-turnout elections.
“There’s a pretty clear consensus on most of the topline things,” among Democrats, Spreitzer said. “Monday processing should be really easy.”
Clerks across the state have long supported many of the potential proposals that Spreitzer endorsed. Marathon County Clerk Kim Trueblood, a Republican who serves as co-chair of the Wisconsin County Clerks Association’s legislative outreach committee, also supports Monday processing. Trueblood told Votebeat that she would prefer for Democrats not to change a large number of election policies at once, and legislators told Votebeat they would include clerks in their conversations about policies.
Democrats Propose Expanding Voter ID and Drop Box Laws
Beyond ballot processing, Spreitzer outlined several distinct policy shifts that Democrats intend to pursue. These include expanding the list of eligible photo IDs for voting and reinstating a rule that lets voters spoil absentee ballots after returning them if they change their minds. State law currently lacks any mention of absentee ballot drop boxes, though a 2024 Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for their use. Democrats now aim to update state law to include drop boxes, potentially offering grants to expand coverage or mandating their availability in cities of a certain size.
A rule mandating municipal election workers to write distinct identification codes on the reverse of every ballot when counting mail-in votes at a central location is also slated for repeal. Critics argue the rule risks ballot secrecy, and past repeal efforts have drawn bipartisan support. Automatic voter registration is on the Democratic agenda, which would automatically sign up qualified residents when obtaining or renewing their driver’s license or state ID.
Republican Lawmaker Links Milwaukee Processing to Compliance
For multiple years, Scott Krug served as the chief Republican authority on elections; he led the Assembly Election Committee spanning 2023 to 2024, subsequently holding the vice chair position. He noted that while some Democratic proposals like Monday processing could earn bipartisan backing, other measures might face resistance from future legislative majorities.
Krug suggested that granting Milwaukee an extra day for absentee processing should be tied directly to a requirement for the city to follow required checklists and trainings, citing the city’s history of Election Day errors at its absentee ballot counting facility. He also cautioned that codifying drop boxes would likely require security requirements for the ballot return receptacles to survive a future GOP majority.
With roughly two years remaining before the 2028 presidential election, Sam Liebert, Wisconsin state director of All Voting is Local and a former municipal clerk, noted there was a “ticking clock.” He emphasized the importance of securing bipartisan buy-in wherever possible to help everyone have more trust and faith in the process.
Lawmakers have pledged to include clerks in crafting policies. Wisconsin has 1,850 municipal clerks who would be affected by new policies.
