US Justice Department to monitor Tuesday's election in Wisconsin

Ruthelle Frank of Brokaw, Wisconsin fights for
her right to vote against Scott Walker
- Image from the Brad Blog

Update: Wisconsin Supreme Court refuses to take up voter ID cases (April 16, 2012)

If the four GOP justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturn a century of precedent, and the Wisconsin Constitution in voting to uphold the GOP voter ID-voter impersonation bill in Wisconsin, the GOP voter obstruction project still has two federal civil rights cases with which to contend in our state.

The AP reports today that the U.S. Justice Department will monitor Tuesday's election in Wisconsin, "to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other federal voting rights laws," in Milwaukee.

The presense of the U.S. Justice Department may very well result in more empirical data that could be used in the two federal cases listed below.

Ruthelle Frank, a co-plaintiff in Frank v. Walker, (Case 11cv1128), U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, was disenfranchised in the February 21 Spring Primary election, missing voting for the first time in 60 years.

She is happy about the U.S. Justice Department invovlement, but remains upset about the voter id law.

As the Voter ID law is now under a permanent injunction pending it appeal to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Ms. Frank of Brokaw, Wisconsin was able to cast her vote absentee in the April 3 Spring and Wisconsin Presidential Preference Election.

Reached by phone this afternoon, Frank said she is optimistic but is still in a fighting mood because of this "disgrace," to "democracy."

"You live in the same house for 83 years, in the same place, and you haven't got a right to vote because of this [voter id] law; it's a little dumb," said Ms. Frank. "I wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer."

Frank notes her story would not likely have gotten out were it not for the efforts of journalist, Robert Mentzer last year who broke the story in the Wausau Daily Herald. "I called up Bob Mentzer of the Wausau Daily Herald and told him what was going on; and he just said, 'he's driving over,'" said Frank in March.

Wisconsin federal court cases

• Frank v. Walker, (Case 11cv1128), U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin 
• Jones et al v. Jones v. Deininger et al (Case 2:12-cv-00185), U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin 

Wisconsin State Cases

• League of Women Voters of Wisconsin v. Walker (Case 11CV4669) - permanent injunction
• Milwaukee Branch of the NAACP v. Walker (Case 11CV5492) - temporary injunction; trial on permanent injunction scheduled for April 16

Wisconsin Constitution, Article III, Section 1
"Every United States citizen age 18 or older who is a resident of an election district in this state is a qualified elector of that district."