Feingold Weighs in on WI AG’s Plans for Prosecutor Poll WatchersWisconin’s junior senator, Russ Feingold, joined the fray over Attorney Gen. J.B. Van Hollen’s announcement this week that he would be sending 50 state prosecutors and agents to polls to protect against voter fraud.
“[T]he announcement and execution of your plans may have the effect of discouraging legitimate voters from attempting to cast their votes, and I urge you to reconsider your decision,” Feingold wrote in a letter to Van Hollen published by the Capital Times. “I also encourage you to ensure that criminal law enforcement personnel are not deployed at polling stations.”
Calling it “widely acknowledged” that law enforcement personnel can lead to intimidated and discouraged voters, Feingold asked for Van Hollen to provide detailed information about how DOJ employees will be deployed.
Yesterday, Gov. Jim Doyle called Van Hollen’s poll watchers an “obvious Republican strategy.” Last week, a court threw out a suit by Van Hollen that would have called for additional checks of voter registrations.
But Van Hollen doesn’t seem to be fazed by these setbacks and detractors. The GOP AG sent a letter Wednesday asking chief district court judges across the state to alert him on Election Day in case he has to “initiate emergency election-related proceedings.”
