Key facts
- The Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected a conservative activist's request for guardianship records.
- The activist sought the records to identify potentially ineligible voters.
- The court cited privacy concerns in its 5-2 ruling.
- The case was brought by Ron Heuer and the Wisconsin Voter Alliance.
- The ruling overturned a lower court's decision that would have allowed access to some records.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an effort by conservative activist Ron Heuer and his group, the Wisconsin Voter Alliance, to obtain guardianship records. Heuer had argued that these records, pertaining to individuals deemed unable to make decisions, could be used to identify ineligible voters and cross-referenced with the state's voter registration list. The case, winding through courts since 2022, tested the balance between personal privacy and election integrity.
Heuer's attorney, Erick Kaardal, proposed redacting sensitive information to protect privacy while allowing access. However, Walworth County's attorney, Sam Hall, argued that without names and addresses, the records could not be effectively used for cross-checking. A guardianship order in Wisconsin can remove an individual's right to vote if a court determines they cannot understand the election process.
The state's high court, with its liberal majority joined by conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn, ruled 5-2 against releasing the records, citing privacy concerns. This decision overturned a ruling from one of the state's appeals courts, which had previously ordered the release of some records with redactions. The case is one of several initiated by individuals questioning the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, which President Joe Biden won in Wisconsin by nearly 21,000 votes. Heuer was previously involved in a discredited election probe led by former Justice Michael Gableman, which found no evidence of fraud that would have altered the results. President Donald Trump won Wisconsin in 2024.