A federal judge reinstated Wisconsin’s online voter registration system late Friday to help people find ways to participate in the April 7 presidential election amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Wisconsin stopped allowing people to use the state’s online voter registration system Wednesday in accordance with a state law that limits online registration just ahead of an election. But U.S. District Judge William Conley ruled that the online portal must be put back in place because of the coronavirus outbreak that has disrupted everyday activities around the globe.
Conley, for now, declined to grant other requests made by the Democratic National Committee and the state Democratic Party, such as allowing absentee ballots to be counted if they arrive after election day. Conley raised the possibility in his 21-page ruling that he would allow that practice in a subsequent decision in the coming weeks.