WAUWATOSA – Today, Rep. Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa) issued the following statement on the April 7th election:
“I am committed to ensuring our election is both safe and fair, and I believe that in the current health crisis that is COVID-19, an in-person election on Tuesday, April 7th, is neither safe nor fair.
“When weeks ago seeing the science behind the COVID-19 pandemic and the very likely implications that an in-person election on April 7th would be dangerous and possibly even make a public health crisis even worse, I began advocating for a vote-by-mail election.
“To change the election to a vote-by-mail election would have to be an “act of the legislature”. In Wisconsin, the Governor cannot order this change, it must be changed by the legislature convening and changing it. Governor Evers has called for a special session tomorrow, Saturday April 4th, to stop in-person voting on April 7th. I support the governor’s call, and I have been ready to vote on this issue for weeks, and remain ready to protect the people of Wisconsin by shifting to either vote-by-mail, or postponing the election until after the public health crisis threat of COVID-19 has passed.
“I believe in bipartisanship. And, I believe that in a time of unprecedented crisis facing Wisconsin, we need unprecedented bipartisanship. Being bipartisan in a time of crisis doesn’t mean failing to register meaningful dissent. Dissent matters. Dissent is a building block toward meaningful change. And in this case dissent is also registering the voices of the people who are scared, the voices of the people I represent.
“I am frustrated that Republican leadership is not acting to protect our people. I am defensive of every person in my district who is scared to vote: poll workers, voters, city hall workers, the National Guard called into to work the polls and the families they’ll return to. I am defensive of my constituents’ right to vote, their free and fair access to the polls, and their right to feel their government isn’t playing political games in a time of a dangerous health crisis.
“Because Republican leadership has failed to call a vote to protect my constituents, I have advocated that people access absentee ballots (you have until 5pm on Friday, April 3rd to request an absentee ballot).
“It is unacceptable for the legislature to sit by and watch as people voice fear for their lives when asked to work polls during a public health crisis. It is unacceptable for the legislature to sit by and watch as people voice fear for their lives to exercise their constitutional right to vote. We, as the legislature, have the power to protect human life, and the constitutional right to a fair election, and we should act now.”
Rep. Vining represents the 14th Assembly District, which includes parts of Brookfield, Wauwatosa, and Milwaukee. For more information, visit Rep. Vining’s website here.
