Voter Rights

In some states, our right to a secret, in-person ballot is being challenged with an attempt to create an all by-mail voting system. Although we believe that absentee voting is necessary for voters who 1) are over the age of 65, 2) are physically impaired, 3) are in the military or out of jurisdiction for business purposes, we also believe that a massive vote-by-mail system leads to the serious possibility of voter fraud and creates administrative chaos in the attempt to properly count votes and ensure a free and fair election. It is that free and fair election that is at the very heart of the many freedoms which patriotic veterans have fought for and allow our fellow Americans representative self-government today. Let us protect our system of voting, state-by-state.

What follows is a letter from Robert F. Spindell Jr. Chairman of Wisconsin Patriotic Veterans and also a member of the Wisconsin Election Commission. We are reprinting this letter as a full-page ad in 19 Wisconsin newspapers. Please consider making your 2020 membership contribution to Patriotic Veterans to help us cover the cost of these ads.

Paul Caprio

President, Patriotic Veterans Inc.

Some facts about your right to vote in Wisconsin

As a Veteran of the United States Air Force, a past City of Milwaukee Election Commissioner for almost 20 years, and now a Commissioner on the Wisconsin Election Commission, I want to address some of the facts surrounding the recent April 7 Election and some of the falsehoods promoted by those who seek to end our right of in-person election day voting in Wisconsin. 

Fact 1: Despite obstacles created by Governor Evers and a few municipal election officials along the way, the Wisconsin Election Commissioners–Republican and Democrats–took every possible precaution to ensure minimal risk to voters on Election Day. 

Here is what happened:

A. At my request, and with the support of all my fellow commissioners, the Wisconsin Election Commission created 20 public health documents for 1,852 municipal clerks in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Election Commission acquired and provided 8,000 liters of hand sanitizer, latex gloves, 23,000 masks, and 500,000 alcohol wipes along with 10,000 signs for social distancing and other supplies for the 2000+ Wisconsin polling places.

B. The Wisconsin Election Commission acquired and provided 8,000 liters of hand sanitizer, latex gloves, 23,000 masks, and 500,000 alcohol wipes along with 10,000 signs for social distancing and other supplies for the 2000+ Wisconsin polling places.

C. At most polling places, social distancing was carefully observed.

So at most Wisconsin voting places, voters were in a safer environment than visiting a grocery store where many do not wear gloves or masks and narrow aisles prevent social distancing. 

Except in Milwaukee, where a Democrat-controlled Election Commission recklessly and unnecessarily consolidated 180 election sites into only 5 polling stations! Nearly 20,000 voters were crowded into long lines with little social distancing. Some of these endangered voters have now tested positive for coronavirus. Shame on the Milwaukee Election Commission.

Fact 2:  On April 7, more than 1.2 million Badgers voted by mail…a record number. This completely overwhelmed our election system, creating many problems:  (1) ballots not sent to voters on time, (2) ballots not returned on time, and (3) ballots sent to legally challenged voters. These problems would only multiply and create more chaos and endless lawsuits in November.

Fact 3:  In order to change to an all vote-by-mail system, Wisconsin would have to expend large amounts of taxpayer funds and new legislation would be required.  It would be impossible to enforce properly our present voter identification statute to prevent mail voter fraud by felons, non-citizens, and deceased voters still on the rolls. 

The right to vote (or not vote) is one of our most fundamental rights guaranteed to Americans by our Constitution. It was brave American soldiers at Iwo Jima, on D-Day, in Korea, in Viet Nam, and on countless other battlefields who risked their lives so that you could have the right to vote.  Do not allow unelectable bureaucrats to determine how you can exercise it!

Protect Election Day… when we know that only eligible voters will be allowed to vote…in person.