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Did Wisconsin election chief Meagan Wolfe illegally allow absentee voting in long-term care facilities?

By Tom Kertscher
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NO

The six-member bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission approved changes in nursing home absentee voting in the 2020 presidential election that later were deemed illegal.

State law requires local elections officials to attempt twice to send “special voting deputies” to help nursing home residents vote absentee before mailing ballots.

Because of COVID-19, Gov. Tony Evers in March 2020 limited nursing facility access to “essential personnel.”

State elections administrator Meagan Wolfe recommended, and the commission voted 6-0, to waive the visits before absentee ballots were mailed for the April 2020 primary.

The commission later voted 5-1 to renew that guidance for the November 2020 general election.

In October 2021, the Legislative Audit Bureau determined that both commission decisions broke the law.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said Nov. 7, 2023, he did not expect the Assembly would soon take up a resolution, pushed by fellow Republicans and former President Donald Trump, to impeach Wolfe.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Wisconsin Watch Meagan Wolfe: Evidence lacking in case against election official
State of Wisconsin Wisconsin Elections Commission Special Teleconference Meeting
State of Wisconsin COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) and Guidance
Wisconsin Legislature Elections Administration report
WBAY AP FACT CHECK: Wisconsin election probe ignores some facts
PolitiFact Impeachment articles against Wisconsin elections official riddled with false and misleading claims
WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR Wisconsin Assembly leaders resist impeachment vote on Wolfe, despite pressure from Trump
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.