Wisconsin Supreme Court Bars Release Of Guardianship Records For Voter Purge Effort
On Tuesday, July 7, 2026, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 5-2 to bar release of guardianship records that a conservative group sought to cross-check against voter rolls.[1]
Justice Janet Protasiewicz wrote the majority opinion, saying state law makes the sought guardianship records nonpublic and that the Wisconsin Voter Alliance "has no right to the records." PBS Conservative justices Annette Ziegler and Rebecca Bradley dissented, saying the majority adopted an overbroad definition of what records relate to incompetency findings.[1]
In 2022, Ron Heuer and the Wisconsin Voter Alliance filed lawsuits in 13 counties seeking Notice of Voting Eligibility forms from guardianship proceedings to check them against voter rolls.[1] Heuer had joined a partisan review of Wisconsin's 2020 election led by former Justice Michael Gableman, and the suits were part of conservative efforts to challenge President Joe Biden's 2020 win.[1]
A Waukesha-based appeals court in 2023 ordered Walworth County to release redacted records, while a Madison-based appeals court denied access; the Supreme Court took the case to resolve that split.[1] As of June 30, 2025, corporate guardianships in Wisconsin served 7,033 wards, and the state had 4,987,440 registered voters as of July 2026.
The mainstream summary does not mention the broader implications of the Wisconsin Supreme Court's ruling, particularly the context of increasing election-related litigation across the United States. Richard L. Hasen, an election law scholar, notes that the volume of election lawsuits has remained high post-2020, driven by partisan polarization and strategies to contest close races through the courts. This backdrop suggests that the ruling is part of a larger trend rather than an isolated incident. Additionally, while the summary highlights the split among appeals courts regarding the release of guardianship records, it does not address how the liberal majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, with one conservative justice, interpreted confidentiality statutes strictly, reflecting a shift in state judiciary dynamics following recent elections. This aspect underscores the influence of partisan control on election administration decisions, which the summary overlooks entirely.
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📊 Relevant Data
As of June 30, 2025, corporate guardianships in Wisconsin served 7,033 wards.
Corporate Guardianship — Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Wisconsin had 4,987,440 registered voters as of July 2026.
WI Voter Data: Registration by Party, Turnout & Primary Rules — Independent Voter Project
📌 Key Facts
- On Tuesday, July 7, 2026, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a 5-2 decision rejecting a bid to access guardianship records for voter-eligibility checks.
- The court held that state law makes the sought guardianship records nonpublic and said the Wisconsin Voter Alliance "has no right to the records," according to Justice Janet Protasiewicz’s majority opinion.
- The ruling overturns a Waukesha-based appeals court’s 2023 order that Walworth County release the records with redactions, resolving a split with a Madison-based appeals court that had denied access.
- Conservative Justices Annette Ziegler and Rebecca Bradley dissented, saying the majority adopted an overbroad definition of what records pertain to incompetency findings.
- The case stems from 2022 lawsuits by activist Ron Heuer and the Wisconsin Voter Alliance, part of wider efforts by some conservatives to question or overturn President Joe Biden’s 2020 win in Wisconsin.
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