MacIver Exclusive: Chris Taylor Seen Filming Video Inside of a Polling Location

More Concerns Surface Regarding WI Election Laws

A photo obtained by the MacIver Institute from one of our readers on Wednesday, April 8th, appears to show newly elected Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Chris Taylor filming a video inside of a polling location on Election Day.

Although filming a video on Election Day may seem harmless, it actually could be a major breach of election law. Wisconsin state election law says that “No person may engage in electioneering during polling hours on election day at a polling place,” and violation of this can result in a fine of up to $1,000 and imprisonment of up to 6 months.

The law defines "electioneering" as “any activity which is intended to influence voting at an election.” This would presumably include filming any type of campaign video inside of a polling location.

The photo obtained by MacIver shows Taylor speaking with multiple tripods set up around her, suggesting both preparation and intention for filming. While it is impossible to decipher if she was engaging in electioneering without obtaining the video that was filmed, speaking to several cameramen with tripods on Election Day does little to suggest otherwise.

This comes after a post shared by Dan O’Donnell and the Heartland Post went viral on X this Tuesday, April 7th. The post shows a picture of newly elected Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Chris Taylor filming a video just outside of a polling location with a cellphone. The post has over 600,000 views and has already sparked a massive controversy online.

Wisconsin State Law also prohibits anyone from engaging in “electioneering during polling hours on any public property on election day within 100 feet of an entrance to a building containing a polling place.”

Many conservatives quickly responded, raising concerns that Taylor’s actions may have been in violation of this.

Wisconsin Congressman and Gubernatorial Candidate Tom Tiffany responded to the situation on X, stating, “The liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate doesn’t even know state law. "You can’t make this up.”

Chris Taylor’s campaign pushed back against the criticism of the initial photo shared by Dan O’Donnell, saying that “Maria Lazar has failed to generate any enthusiasm for her candidacy, so it's no surprise right-wing politicians are trying a desperate, last-minute attack to turn out their voters.” The campaign spokesperson added that “Judge Taylor is the only candidate in this race who believes in protecting our elections and democratic rights."

However, Taylor’s campaign team never posted the video that was clearly being filmed in the photo, despite calls from conservatives to do so.

Now, with a photo showing Taylor not just filming a video outside a polling location with a cellphone, but inside a polling location with professional cameras and tripods, the situation raises additional questions.

Ultimately, the job of a Supreme Court justice is to interpret and uphold the rule or law, and Wisconsinites deserve confidence that their newly elected Supreme Court justice has a clear understanding of our state’s election laws and the willingness to follow them.