Wisconsin judge denies voter’s election-contract injunction bid

A Wisconsin federal judge has denied a radio host's request for temporary protection to buy election prediction contracts while retaining his eligibility to vote in the same elections.

US District Judge Byron B. Conway issued the 2 November decision in Joseph Giganti Sr.'s case against Wisconsin election officials. Giganti wanted to buy Polymarket US contracts on the governor's race and the Third Congressional District contest.

Wisconsin's voting statute disqualifies a person from voting in an election in which they hold a direct or indirect interest in a bet or wager on the result. The Wisconsin Elections Commission warned that election prediction contracts could fall within that restriction.

Contract classification remains unsettled

Conway said it remains unclear whether prediction contracts count as bets under the statute. He accepted that interpretation for the purpose of assessing Giganti's request, rather than conclusively resolving the question.

The judge found that the state's interest in preventing voter wagering outweighed the harm alleged. Giganti had not purchased the contracts, so his vote was not at risk of being challenged on that basis.

In a 3 November statement, his lawyers at the Competitive Enterprise Institute said he planned to vote and would not buy election contracts beforehand. Lead attorney Soriya Chhe disputed the ruling and said CEI and Giganti would continue their challenge.

The order denies preliminary relief. It does not dismiss the case or establish that Giganti lost his right to vote. His intended purchases concerned Polymarket US, the US exchange, rather than the separate international platform.