The Republican National Committee filed a lawsuit against Milwaukee election officials on Monday, alleging that they unlawfully restricted the number of poll watchers at three voting sites.
In the complaint, RNC attorneys argued that the Milwaukee Election Commission limited the number of poll watchers allowed at Serb Hall, Good Hope Library, and Capitol Drive Voting Center to just two or four observers per site during early voting. The attorneys claimed that this restriction was “arbitrarily imposed” and noted that the facilities “can accommodate far more observers” than what was permitted.
Poll watching is typically governed by state law and allows designated representatives from both major parties to observe polling sites and monitor ballot counting. In Wisconsin, a key battleground state, rules for poll watching are less restrictive than in many other states, as poll watchers do not need to be affiliated with a specific candidate or political party. According to state law, however, election officials are expected to make reasonable efforts to balance party representation among poll watchers.
The RNC argued that limiting observers to just two at each location could increase the potential for fraud, saying, “When access is arbitrarily restricted to two persons, it opens the door to fraudulent claims of party affiliation to ‘freeze out’ one or the other major party.”
This case follows recent legal actions by Republicans challenging poll watcher restrictions and alleged irregularities in other states. In Fulton County, Georgia, Republicans filed an unsuccessful lawsuit last month claiming that election officials ignored most Republican poll worker applications in favor of third-party temp workers. Over the weekend, the RNC also reported that some Fulton County election workers were barring poll watchers from several election offices, though RNC Chairman Michael Whatley stated that the issue was later resolved. Additionally, Missouri’s Republican Secretary of State filed suit against the Department of Justice on Monday, alleging improper monitoring of poll workers in St. Louis.
