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Dear Editor:
In response to Paula Dail's letter to the editor in the Chronicle last week I have two facts to point out that she either is unaware of or simply does not want to acknowledge.
First, it was Gov. Evers who kept declaring to everyone (as reported by the news media) that he was not going to change the date of Wisconsin's spring election. Evers even submitted a "friend of the court" brief  in which he argued that "ultimately, a predominantly-by-mail election, with limited but available in-person voting, would be an achievable middle ground that would help protect Wisconsinites' right to vote, while also helping to keep them safe." It seems to me the state legislators (Democrat and Republican) were taking the governor at his word when he began insisting on March 17 that the election would be held as scheduled. And the governor kept maintaining that position until just three days before the election when he flipped flopped. And now Dail blames Republicans? What Dail is ignoring is the fact the Republican leadership was open to postponing the election when Evers first started shutting down the state, and were willing to work with the governor in getting that done, but Evers refused to discuss the possibility. It appears Dail is unwilling to assess any responsibility for going ahead with the election on her fellow Democrats, while in fact our Democrat governor bears a significant responsibility for the election not being postponed. This is a fact she may attempt to ignore, but she certainly cannot deny no matter how much of a twisting spin she puts on it.
Secondly, Dail calls for the establishment of a mail-in-ballot procedure. For the learn-ed professor's information, we already have a mail-in-ballot procedure. It is called "voting by Absentee Ballot". The governor himself pointed this out in his own words in the above quote from his own "friend of the court" brief. From news reports following the election, it appears the mail-in-ballot procedure had a few isolated failures. But those failures were not due to the fact there was no established mail-in ballot procedure, or because a particular political party was responsible for the problems. The isolated failures in the already established mail-in ballot procedure were due to: a) a failure of some citizens to use the procedure on a timely basis; b) a failure of a few post offices and their staff to do their job properly to ensure the absentee ballots were mailed to those who requested them, and once mailed back, to deliver them to municipal staff; and c)the failure of staff of some municipal governments to perform their responsibilities in getting the absentee ballots out properly and on a timely basis.
If Dail's expressed outrage in her letter is truly sincere, then why did she not express her concerns about the election being held on April 7 to Governor Evers while he kept insisting, beginning March 17, he would not change the date until he flipped flopped three days before the election? And now it is Mr. Novak's, Mr. Marklein's, and their fellow Republican's fault the election went on as scheduled? Dail and her fellow Democrats blaming Republicans for the mess our governor created with this election is similar to my four year old granddaughter blaming her two older sisters for making the mess in the toy room when all three of them were playing in the room. Most grownups see through the blame game the four year old is playing to avoid taking any responsibility for the mess.
Michael Mueller
Rewey, WI