On March 20, U.S. District Court Judge William M. Conley, an Obama appointee, granted injunctive relief in a lawsuit filed by the Democratic National Committee, and extended the deadline for Wisconsin voters to register to vote on-line from March 18 to March 30. Democratic National Committee v Bostelmann, w.d., 3:20cv-249.

Wisconsin holds an election April 7, 2020. Voters were always free to register at the polls on election day, or to register by appearing physically at certain types of government office. But many unregistered voters now seek to register on-line, to avoid going out in public. The state argued it would be too burdensome to re-do the voter registration software, but the judge said he thinks the state can comply.

The Republican National Committee asked that this ruling be delayed to give them more time to intervene in this case on the side of the state, but the judge refused to delay his order. Here is the 21-page order. The judge declined at this time to suspend the requirement for photocopies of proof of residency to be submitted with voter registration requests.