Wisconsin voters had to endure serious political drama as Democrats and Republicans in that state fought about whether to hold an election during the coronavirus pandemic. (The election ended up going forward in person, and Democrats surprised political watchers by winning a state Supreme Court seat.)
But Wisconsin won’t be the last state to have a knockout battle over voting. In nearly a dozen states, debates over how to hold summer primaries and runoffs and the big November election are just getting started.
Nationally, some trends are emerging:
- Voting rights advocates worry that moving to all-mail voting will disenfranchise people with disabilities and those who don’t have a fixed address, like homeless people or college students.
- Some Republican leaders are hesitant to relieve strict rules about absentee voting (like having a witness sign off on your ballot).
- No group has been successful in asking the courts to step in and change how politicians set up elections.
Here’s an overview of some of the biggest brewing battles.
