The disaster that is the Wisconsin Democratic primary just keeps getting messier. Three weeks ago, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley dropped out and endorsed Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez. Rodriguez's campaign went off the rails last week and she dropped out on Friday.
In a panic, the Wisconsin Democrats (WisDems) begged Crowley to get back into the race. They see Crowley as their last best hope to derail the socialist freight train that is Francesca Hong. That's not going well for them, and now there's another problem: absentee voting.
By law, early voting in Wisconsin cannot begin more than 14 days prior to the election, which means early voting begins on Tuesday, July 28, for the August 11 primary. But thousands of voters have already requested and returned absentee ballots, including those who may have voted for Sara Rodriguez or David Crowley before they dropped out of the race.
Now the Wisconsin Democrats are asking the state elections commission to rescind guidance that prohibits absentee voters from requesting a new ballot if their preferred candidate drops out.
NEW🧵: The Democratic Party of Wisconsin sent a letter to state elections commissioners today asking them to immediately rescind guidance that bars absentee voters from requesting a new ballot if their preferred candidate drops out.
— Molly Beck (@MollyBeck) July 21, 2026
Townhall reached out to the Wisconsin Elections Commission for clarification on the absentee ballot policy, but we were directed to a voicemail, and the message was not returned by publication time.
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This sheds light on the perils of widespread absentee and mail-in voting, which often takes place weeks before an election and can render a voter's choice moot if their preferred candidate later drops out of the race.
Once again, conservatives are proven right to be skeptical of vast early voting periods, while Democrats are begging for an exception to their own rules. https://t.co/fEKwJw9EUZ
— WI Conservatives (@ConservativesWi) July 21, 2026
We are rightly skeptical of this.
This is wrong.
— Eric Bott (@EricJBott) July 21, 2026
I know the @WisDems hate many of their grassroots voters and I agree with them that the @DemSocialists are a grave threat to our Democracy.
But this is not the way.
Follow the law. The rules matter. https://t.co/qwfwlbe4AZ
WisDems are trying to derail Francesca Hong, believing she will not win the general election. That would mark the third time Democrats across the country have made a concerted effort to oust their voters' preferred candidate because the party believes that candidate cannot win the general election. They did this in 2024 with Joe Biden, just a few weeks ago with Graham Platner in Maine, and now with Francesca Hong in Wisconsin.
Laws should not change when it's politically convenient or popular. https://t.co/5B6VpGx6yD
— Megan Novak (@meganjnovak) July 21, 2026
Wisconsin Elections Commission chairman Don Mills said he will not call a meeting on the guidance issue.
Wisconsin Elections Commission chairman Don Millis tells me he has no plans to call a meeting on the guidance at issue. Millis says state law is clear in his view.
— Molly Beck (@MollyBeck) July 21, 2026
This all but assures a lawsuit over voting rules just three weeks before the Aug. 11 primary election. https://t.co/78stE9Rrpa
This means Democrats will spend time and money on a lawsuit, when they have an election to try to win.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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