Wisconsin

Trump issues order reshaping elections. Here’s what Wisconsin officials say it means for the state

Published

9 months ago

March 25, 2025

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Trump issues order reshaping elections. Here’s what Wisconsin officials say it means for the state

President Donald Trump signed an order aimed at reshaping how states carry out elections, but Wisconsin officials don’t believe the measures will impact the state’s pivotal April 1 vote.
The Trump order mandates “documentary, government-issued proof of U.S. citizenship” on voter registration forms.
Wisconsin is barred by a state court order from using the registration form described in Trump’s order.

MADISON – President Donald Trump signed an order Tuesday aimed at reshaping how states carry out elections, but Wisconsin officials don’t believe the measures are likely to impact the state’s pivotal April 1 spring contest.

In an executive order, Trump requires the federal Election Assistance Commission to mandate “documentary, government-issued proof of U.S. citizenship” on voter registration forms and bans clerks from counting absentee ballots received after Election Day, among other measures.

If state officials do not use the voter registration form called for under the order, they could lose federal funding. However, Wisconsin is banned by a Waukesha County judge from using the form at issue because it does not comport with state law.

Leaders of the state elections agency said the state is unlikely to face repercussions because the state is exempt from using the form.

“Anything that would possibly have an effect on Wisconsin elections doesn’t apply to our April election, and people should rest secure that they’re going to be able to vote in April,” said Wisconsin Elections Commission chairwoman Ann Jacobs, a Democrat.

“The Commission is obligated to follow what the Wisconsin courts have ordered us, and sometimes the federal courts, and so we’ll do what they what they direct,” said Don Millis, the Republican vice-chairman of the commission. “The courts have said that’s not a form that we’re allowed to use.”

A spokesman for the Wisconsin Elections Commission agency declined to comment on the order’s impact to state election practices.

Some national election experts predicted the order would be challenged in court immediately over Trump’s move to override Congress on what the federal voter registration form includes. Under the order, U.S. passports and REAL IDs would be accepted as proof of citizenship but not birth certificates.

“This executive order would block tens of millions of American citizens from voting,” The Brennan Center for Justice posted on X, referring to the requirement to provide documentation to prove citizenship. “Presidents have no authority to do this.”

In a statement, Trump said the order is going to “fix our elections so that our elections are going to be honorable and honest and people leave and they know their vote is counted.”

Trump also said, “Ideally, we go to paper ballots, same-day voting,” but did not set new requirements for either policy change he has championed since the 2020 election when he falsely claimed to have defeated former President Joe Biden.

Jacobs said she suspects the timing of the order is related to the April 1 spring election in Wisconsin when partisan control of the state Supreme Court is up for grabs.

The court in 2020 ruled against Trump in a lawsuit he brought seeking to throw out thousands of ballots in an effort to overturn his election loss here.

Trump has endorsed conservative candidate Brad Schimel in the race, and days later former President Barack Obama backed liberal candidate Susan Crawford in the highly nationalized race.

“It feels like this is sort of being rushed out in advance of our April election. And I’m assuming that there’s a political reason for that,” Jacobs said. But Millis dismissed the idea, saying, “It would seem highly unlikely that the timing of this has any relationship to Wisconsin’s Supreme Court election next week.”

Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin warns of “sextortion,” online crimes against kids

Published

12 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin warns of “sextortion,” online crimes against kids

MILWAUKEE – The FBI calls it an online crime against kids – perpetrators convincing kids to send sexual images of themselves and then blackmailing them.

Online crime against kids

The backstory:

The reality is settling in. This will be Brittney Bird’s first Christmas without her son, Bradyn Bohn, since he was born. That is because just nine months ago, the 15-year-old died by suicide, just hours after telling his family good night.

“This winter has been pretty heavy,” Bird said. “This will be a lot of first this year.”

Bird said Bradyn was the kind of kid who would always try to make you launch. The teen had a lot of friends, played sports, did well academically, and had big plans for the future.

“Definitely a kid who we were just so proud of,” Bird said. “Bradyn never struggled with or suffered from mental illness or depression or anything of that nature so immediately we knew, you know something’s wrong.”

Once police went through Bradyn’s phone, she said it came out he was the victim of the cyber crime, sextortion.

What is sextortion?

What we know:

“Sextortion is a form of online child exploitation where a child is coerced by a perpetrator to send compromising images,” said Jesse Crowe from the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

This week, the Wisconsin Department of Justice sent out a public service announcement on sextortion.

Officials say suspects often pose as someone else online. While exchanging messages, they convince a child to send images of themselves. Once they have explicit images of the child, they use the photos or videos to blackmail the child into sending even more images, money or ask for sexual favors.

FBI data, change in Wisconsin law

Dig deeper:

The FBI said victims are typically males between the ages of 14 and 17, but any child can be a target.

This crime led to at least 20 suicides between October 2021 and March 2023.

In the months after Bradyn’s death, change would come to Wisconsin. Earlier in December, Gov. Tony Evers signed Bradyn’s Law. It creates a new crime of sexual extortion in Wisconsin. It aims to ensure harsh penalties for those who exploit children online.

“It will bring, hopefully statewide, eventually nationwide attention to where every family is having this conversation with their kids,” Bird told FOX6 News.

Take action

What you can do:

The Department of Justice said the best thing to do if a child finds themselves in this situation is the following:

Block the perpetrator
Report the account, but do not delete the messages
Tell a trusted adult
Do not send any money

Resources available

The Source: Information in this post was produced by FOX6 News.

Crime and Public SafetyMilwaukeeNews

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Wisconsin

Trump names Christmas Eve, Dec. 26 federal holidays. What does that mean for Wisconsin?

Published

24 hours ago

December 22, 2025

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Trump names Christmas Eve, Dec. 26 federal holidays. What does that mean for Wisconsin?

President Donald Trump declared Christmas Eve and Dec. 26 to be federal holidays this year.

The Dec. 18 executive order deems the days as work holidays for all federal departments and agencies, but adds some of them will remain open. Certain offices may stay open on one or both days for “national security, defense, or other public need,” the order reads.

But, what does this mean for other federal workers and services?

Here’s what to know in Wisconsin:

Are Christmas Eve, Dec. 26 official federal holidays?

Even though Christmas Eve and Dec. 26 have been declared federal holidays in 2025, they are not permanent additions to the holiday schedule.

Legislation must be passed by Congress and then signed into law by the president for a federal holiday declaration to be official.

Who gets Christmas Eve, Dec. 26 off in Wisconsin?

Only federal agencies are set to be closed on Christmas Eve and Dec. 26, according to USA TODAY.

Since these two days have not been designated permanent federal holidays, many businesses that follow the schedule will likely not give their employees a last-minute extended Christmas break.

Wisconsin state government and Milwaukee city offices are closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but will be open on Dec. 26.

Will mail still be delivered on Christmas Eve, Dec. 26 in Wisconsin?

Yes. The U.S. Postal Service will deliver mail and post office locations will remain open on Christmas Eve and Dec. 26, according to its website. Mail will not be delivered and locations will be closed on Christmas.

Will banks be open on Christmas Eve, Dec. 26 in Wisconsin?

Yes. Banks will follow the typical schedule of being open on Christmas Eve and Dec. 26, according to the U.S. Federal Reserve. Banks will be closed on Christmas.

Mary Walrath-Holdridge of USA TODAY contributed to this report.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for Dec. 21, 2025

Published

1 day ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for Dec. 21, 2025

The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 21, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

Midday: 0-7-9

Evening: 4-2-5

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

Midday: 9-7-3-0

Evening: 7-7-5-4

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

Midday: 03-06-08-09-10-14-15-16-19-20-22

Evening: 02-05-07-12-13-14-15-16-20-21-22

Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Badger 5 numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

03-08-19-25-28

Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from Dec. 21 drawing

04-10-27-30-33-39, Doubler: N

Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.

Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?

No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.

When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.

That lucky feeling: Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Feeling lucky? WI man wins $768 million Powerball jackpot **

WI Lottery history: Top 10 Powerball and Mega Million jackpots

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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