The governor's veto power has served as an important check on legislation that could otherwise have become law.
During the 2021–2022 legislative session alone, Governor Evers vetoed a record 126 bills, including measures that would have imposed additional voting restrictions. He has also vetoed legislation seeking to restrict abortion access and prohibit gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
Elections Have Consequences Beyond Party Politics
As Wisconsin approaches another gubernatorial election, voters should consider what executive power actually means. A governor cannot solve every problem, but the governor's ability to sign or veto legislation can determine whether existing protections remain in place or whether residents face new limitations on their civil rights and liberties.
This responsibility becomes even more significant heading into the 2028 presidential election. Wisconsin is a closely contested presidential battleground, and state officials play important roles in election administration and certification. The events following the 2020 election demonstrated how political pressure can challenge the integrity of the democratic process.
Consider what could happen if Wisconsin entered another disputed presidential election with a governor unwilling to respect legitimate election results. Because Wisconsin is a competitive state, decisions made by its officials could have implications for the outcome of a presidential election and the public's confidence in the democratic process. Protecting democracy requires institutions and public officials willing to follow the law, even when the outcome conflicts with their political interests.
The Next Frontier of Civil Liberties
These questions become even more important as we enter an era of mass surveillance, artificial intelligence and increasingly centralized data collection. Decisions about who controls these technologies, how government agencies use them and what protections exist against abuse, and whether these technologies should be deployed at all will shape civil liberties for decades.
Surveillance technology can affect people's ability to organize protests, participate in political movements and exercise freedom of expression without fear of government scrutiny. As Wisconsin communities debate technologies such as automated license plate readers, connected camera networks and AI-assisted policing, state leadership will help determine whether these technologies should be deployed at all in Wisconsin.
The question is whether elected officials will prioritize transparency, public oversight and individual rights as these technologies become more powerful. Once surveillance infrastructure becomes embedded in government operations, establishing meaningful limits can become much more difficult. Ultimately the best way to protect Wisconsinites’ data is to not collect it in the first place.
We Should Pay Attention to What Is at Stake
We are not encouraging anyone to vote for a particular candidate. We are nonpartisan and do not endorse or oppose candidates. We are arguing that voters should understand what is at stake when they choose who governs them. Nonpartisanship should not mean ignoring the historical record or treating every policy outcome as equivalent.
The next gubernatorial election will help determine how Wisconsin approaches civil liberties, voting rights, emerging surveillance technologies and the protection of democratic institutions. Those decisions will affect residents across the state, particularly communities that have historically faced greater barriers to exercising their rights.
In recent years women, LGBTQ+ community members, people of color, and others have avoided body blows to their civil liberties in significant part because of the governor's veto power. That gubernatorial power deserves serious attention as Wisconsinites contemplate their vote.
