Wisconsin Noncitizen Voter Roll Maintenance Challenge (Cerny)

Lawsuit filed by a voter against the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) and all of its commissioners, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) and Secretary of WisDOT, Craig Thompson, challenging the state’s process for verifying the citizenship status of voter registrants. The plaintiff claims that WEC has failed to check voter registration applications against the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)’s list of driver’s licenses and identification cards to verify applicants’ citizenship. She argues that WEC’s lack of citizenship verification against WisDOT’s records violates state law and asks the court to order that WEC and WisDOT compare voter registrants to DMV records before authorizing registration applications. 

On Oct. 3, 2025, the trial court granted the voter’s request for a writ of mandamus, concluding that the WEC has a duty to verify U.S. citizenship for all voter registration applicants and to review existing voter rolls for non-citizens. WEC and local officials are prohibited from registering anyone without citizenship verification. The parties must develop a plan—using DOT records or other lawful means—to identify ineligible registrants, with the review substantially completed before the next statewide election.

STATUS: On Oct. 20, 2025, Attorney General Josh Kaul appealed the trial court’s decision.

Last updated: October 20, 2025 12:38 pm EST