Wisconsin Elections Commissioner Julie Glancey To Resign

By Henry Redman, Wisconsin Examiner

May 2, 2023

Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) member Julie Glancey resigned from the body on Monday after seven years as a member.

A Democrat who was first appointed by Republican Gov. Scott Walker when the elections commission was created in 2016, Glancey was recently reappointed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to a term that was set to expire in 2026. The commission consists of three Democrats and three Republicans. Evers will name a Democratic replacement who will serve the remainder of the term.

A former Sheboygan County Clerk, Glancey said in a statement that she was stepping down to allow someone with more recent experience as a clerk to take the role.

“I’m grateful to have brought my several years of experience as a county clerk to this Commission, but it’s time for me to make way for someone who can bring a fresh perspective,” Glancey said. “During my time on the Commission, I did my best to help improve election administration and ensure that all eligible Wisconsinites can exercise their right to vote. I’m also proud to have helped lead the Commission through the challenges of the past few years.”

Glancey was appointed to the commission when it was first started after Walker and Republicans dismantled the nonpartisan Government Accountability Board, which had been investigating allegations that Walker’s campaign had violated campaign finance laws.

Since then, Glancey has served on the body as it has become much more prominent politically due to Republican attacks on election administration and baseless allegations that the state’s elections are rife with fraud.

The agency is tasked with a number of election-related duties, including maintaining the state’s voter registration database, providing guidance to local election clerks and ensuring accuracy, but as Republican conspiracy theories have continued to fester, the agency and its commissioners frequently came under attack. A bipartisan decision during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic to forgo sending voting assistants into nursing homes to help residents fill out absentee ballots was later highlighted as an apparent source of election fraud. Several Republicans, including Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling, called for felony charges to be filed against the commissioners, including Glancey.

At the commission’s meeting on Friday, several members applauded the work Glancey had done for seven years on the body.

“Julie has acted with complete professionalism and sincerity and I really appreciate all the work that she’s done over the seven years that she’s been on the commission,” Republican commission chair Don Millis said.

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