By Ryan J. Foley • Associated Press writer •

MADISON — Proposals to allow early voting in Wisconsin elections are
running into opposition from the public and local officials concerned
about the cost and potential for fraud, according to a report
discussed Monday.

The Government Accountability Board has been considering whether to
switch to early voting instead of the state’s current system of
no-excuse absentee voting, which caused long lines and headaches for
municipal clerks during last year’s presidential election.

The current system allows anyone to apply for and cast an absentee
ballot, which can’t be counted until polls close on the day of the
election. But voters had to wait for hours in some cases because the
law limits municipalities to one absentee voting location.

Early voting would allow voters to cast ballots up to 20 days before
an election directly into machines that would count them immediately.
Supporters say it would involve less administrative work and shorter
lines because of multiple voting sites while improving voter access.

More than 20 percent of Wisconsin voters, or roughly 500,000, cast
absentee ballots in last year’s presidential election.

But after 11 listening sessions with the public and local clerks
around the state, the board has found a lack of support for early
voting at this time, according to a report presented Monday.

“A majority of clerks don’t want early voting,” board director Kevin
Kennedy said.

Clerks are “extremely concerned” about the cost of buying new voting
machines to tabulate the ballots, staffing voting locations before an
election and other costs associated with adopting early voting, the
report said. Clerks say they are already cutting their budgets and
services and can’t afford to spend more money to run elections, it
said.

Richard Stadelman, executive director of the Wisconsin Towns
Association, said any early voting plan should not be “one size fits
all” by allowing municipalities to opt out if they choose.

The board will collect more feedback before suggesting in October what
early voting options, if any, should be considered.