RNC Sues Milwaukee Over Poll Watcher Access

The Milwaukee Elections Commission is accused of arbitrarily limiting the number of poll observer to two at multiple sites during in-person absentee voting.

The Republican National Convention (RNC) grounds in Milwaukee, Wis., on July 17, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The Republican National Committee has filed a lawsuit against the Milwaukee Elections Commission, alleging it has illegally restricted poll watcher access.

A Nov. 4 complaint, filed at the Milwaukee County Circuit Court by the RNC, seeks a temporary restraining order against the agency, accusing it of arbitrarily limiting poll watcher access at multiple sites during in-person absentee voting.

The Wisconsin complaint is the latest in a series of lawsuits from the Republicans in the lead-up to Election Day, Nov. 5.

“There was no legal basis for the chief inspector in any of the polling sites to limit the number of observers to two. There is ample space at these locations for more observers. It was an arbitrary decision,” the complaint states.

It asserts the alleged restrictions run afoul of Wisconsin Statute 7.41(1) – (2), which states that observation areas during elections must “permit any election observer to readily observe all public aspects of the voting process.”

In a press release on the lawsuit, the RNC voiced concerns that the limitations could facilitate the replacement of their own trained observers with unofficial observers who claim to represent their party.

“When access is arbitrarily restricted to two persons, it opens the door to fraudulent claims of party affiliation so as to ‘freeze out’ one or the other major party,” the complaint states.

“Wisconsin voters deserve to know that there are poll watchers from both parties in the room as votes are being cast and counted on Election Day.

“The RNC has not recruited and trained thousands of volunteers in the Badger State simply to back down from misguided officials who want to prevent a full measure of poll-watching transparency,” said Lara Trump, the RNC’s co-chair, and the daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump.

“This action is being brought so that not only will observers affiliated with the Plaintiff [the RNC] be able to observe the election process in the City of Milwaukee, but that all persons interested in doing so will not be denied their express right to do so under Wisconsin law,” the complaint states.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the Milwaukee Elections Commission for comment.

The city hosted the Republican National Convention earlier this year.

President Joe Biden’s victory in Wisconsin in the 2020 presidential election hinged on roughly 20,000 votes, helped in large part by turnout in Democrat-leaning Milwaukee and Dane Counties.

A recount initiated by the Trump campaign after that election challenged absentee ballots from those two jurisdictions.