Wisconsin Officials Warn Election Bets Could Cost Residents Their Right to Vote

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The Wisconsin Elections Commission has warned residents that trading contracts on election outcomes could cost them the right to vote. The notice was published by the agency on July 21.

The commission said the warning does not introduce a new ban but explains how an existing state law may apply.

Under Wisconsin law, a person may not vote in an election if they have a direct or indirect financial interest in a wager whose outcome depends on the result of that election.

Commission lawyers believe the rule may also cover trades on prediction market platforms, including Kalshi and Polymarket. For example, a Wisconsin resident could face legal consequences after buying a contract on a candidate to win and then attempting to vote in the same election.

In such a case, the person’s eligibility to vote could be challenged. If the complaint is upheld, they could be barred from voting. The matter could also be referred to a district attorney if the person knowingly cast a ballot despite being ineligible.

The commission acknowledged that it cannot independently monitor users’ trades. It said the notice was primarily intended to inform residents about the possible legal consequences of trading election-related contracts.

Kalshi rejected the commission’s interpretation and accused the agency of trying to discourage users from voting.

The company maintains that its contracts are financial instruments rather than bets and has called on the commission to withdraw the warning.

Polymarket also disputed the commission’s conclusions. A company representative said the platform would respond to the agency’s statements through the process established by law.