County Board to Consider Ordinance Amendment to Make it an Offense to Engage in Disorderly Conduct Towards an Election Official
July 21, 2022
County Board Chair Patrick Miles, (608) 886-9167
County Board
The Dane County Board of Supervisors meets tonight at 7:00pm, and can be attended either in person at 210 MLK Jr. Bvld, Room 201, Madison, or online by registering with the link available on the agenda: https://dane.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=903602&GUID=801218A7-2DED-4EDB-91E7-0720876795F3
At the meeting the County Board will consider an Ordinance Amendment that, if approved, will make it an offense to engage in disorderly conduct towards an election official. The ordinance amendment updates Chapter 34 of Dane County Ordinance – Public Peace and Order. An offense of disorderly conduct directed at an election official under the updated ordinance would include a fine of $500.
"Our Election Officials do a tremendous job administering free and fair elections and ensuring everyone who is eligible to cast a vote can do so and have their vote counted. These changes will help protect them from harassment and intimidation while they are doing this important work," said County Board Supervisor Yogesh Chawla (District 6).
Earlier this year, the County Board created the Dane County Election Security Review Committee to review the current security posture of the Dane County election infrastructure. The review included the consideration of the full range of election security issues including safety of election staff, as well as the security of materials and equipment and identification of future threats. The County’s Executive Committee will hear a report of the work in August.
"We’ve seen unprecedented actions by and misinformation from elected officials and leaders designed to sow doubt in our election process. I’m pleased we are doing what we can to ensure safe and fair elections in Dane County. There is too much at stake to let the behavior and rhetoric continue unchecked," said County Board Chair Patrick Miles.
At the meeting the Board will also consider a resolution in support of democracy and nonpartisan election administration.
"The elections process administered by a non-partisan election administration needs to be maintained. As we’ve seen in the last several years, attempts to undermine this process have proven to make the jobs of election officials harder and have unnecessarily eroded the trust in our democracy," said County Board Supervisor Analiese Eicher (District 3).
The resolution reaffirms Dane County’s confidence in Wisconsin’s system of non-partisan election administration led by the Wisconsin Election Commission and calls on state lawmakers to cease all attempts to undermine, disrupt, or revoke the Wisconsin Election Commission’s authority over Wisconsin elections, as well as the authority of municipal clerks.