Wisconsin AG 'preparing for' possibility of militia groups intimidating voters at polls

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Wisconsin Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul said his office is looking out for potential militia groups at polling locations.

“It’s something we’re preparing for," Kaul said. "So far, we haven’t had anything like that as in-person voting has been happening. It’s been going on for a week now, and so far the process has been going smoothly. I would like to see shorter lines.”

State Senator Lena Taylor said long voting lines at the beginning of early voting could discourage voters.

She says those lines could be attributed to limiting early voting to two weeks, high turnout or a lack of preparation.

"Anything that discourages voters is a mechanism that leads to voter suppression," Taylor said.

Taylor and Kaul said the state's voter ID law could also be a hurdle for voters.

“Wisconsin has one of the stricter voter ID laws in the country, and litigation regarding that law has been ongoing for a while,” Kaul said.

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin has dispatched poll observers to help people turned away at the ballot box for any reason.

“Mostly about the photo IDs," observer Erik Andorfer said. "You know, making sure people know exactly what kind of information they need. Residency has been very important as well.”

Kaul said any voter intimidation should be handled by election officials at the polling location, and likely law enforcement as well.