Major Court Victory for Election Integrity in Wisconsin
This month, a landmark ruling reinforced the constitutional principle the only U.S. citizens may vote. The Waukesha County Circuit Court has sided with petitioners Ardis Cerny and Annette Kuglitsch against the Wisconsin Election Commission (WEC) in Cerny v. WEC [Case No. 24-CV-1353].
Judge Maxwell's October 3, 2025 decision orders WEC to:
- Verify U.S. citizenship for all new voter registrations before approval
- Review existing voter rolls to identify and remove potential non-citizens
- Report progress within 60 days to ensure full compliance before upcoming elections
This ruling comes after years of public concern over WEC's failure to cross-check voter data against citizenship records from the Department of Transportation (DOT), creating a gap that risked diluting lawful votes with ineligible voter registrations.
This ruling also upholds Wisconsin's "Only U.S. Citizens Vote" Constitutional Amendment, which passed last November with overwhelming support from 70% of voters statewide.
Attorney General Kaul Pushes Back
As expected, Attorney General Josh Kaul and Governor Evers' Department of Justice have already moved to delay Judge Maxwell's order, seeking a stay pending appeal. As well as Kaul filing an appeal to the Dane County based District IV Court of Appeals on October 20, 2025.
Kaul argues that the ruling "requires a massive overhaul," but conservatives note that verifying citizenship is a basic safeguard already recognized in federal law under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).
Judge Maxwell explicitly rejected WEC's argument that it has no duty to prevent non-citizens from remaining on voter rolls, stating that the Commission has "failed in the most basic task of ensuring that only lawful voters make it to the rolls."
If you want to follow along with this case, the hearing on the DOJ's appeal is scheduled for October 31st to determine if Maxwell's order on voter verification can be substantially completed by the February 17, 2026 primary election.
Why This Matters
This case marks a turning point in Wisconsin's ongoing debate over voter roll integrity. For decades, verification has relied on "self-affirmation" by voters rather than confirmed citizenship. This has left our voter rolls vulnerable and has eroded public trust in Wisconsin's elections.
This court ruling offers a blueprint for every state seeking to secure its elections without disenfranchising lawful voters. Judge Maxwell's order effectively ensures WEC must act on the citizenship mandate to close loopholes and reinstate public trust in our electoral systems, making this case crucial to protecting the sacred right of legal citizens to vote without dilution.
Election Integrity In The News
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