MADISON - Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill that would require watermarks on absentee ballots, but election clerks say the measure could create more problems while solving none.
The measure, written by Rep. Scott Allen, R-Waukesha, and Sen. Romaine Quinn, R-Cameron, would require absentee ballots that are mailed to voters to "contain a watermark that identifies the ballot as an official absentee ballot."
“To help curb public distrust in absentee ballots, it is certainly worth the additional cost to make our absentee ballots secure and restore trust in our election process," Allen said.
In response to former President Donald Trump's false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, Republicans have focused on absentee ballot security in past legislative sessions. Multiple election reviews —including one by a conservative group — have proven that voter fraud is exceptionally rare.
Many of the past Republican proposals, such as a bill to limit who can return an absentee ballot on behalf of a voter, never received a full vote in one chamber or the other.
A spokesman for the Wisconsin Elections Commission, which provides guidance to clerks across the state, did not respond to a request for comment on the bill.
Diane Coenen, the clerk for the City of Oconomowoc and the chairwoman of the Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association, said the organization does not support the bill.
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