Wisconsin Warns Election Contract Buyers May Lose Voting Eligibility

The Wisconsin Elections Commission said residents who buy election-related contracts on Kalshi or Polymarket may lose the right to vote in the same election. According to Odaily, the commission said knowingly voting without eligibility could be a Class I felony. The commission unanimously approved a legal memo on prediction markets at its July 9 meeting and issued a statewide notice on Tuesday. The restriction applies only to the related election and does not automatically affect a trader’s eligibility in other unrelated elections. Kalshi election department head Benjamin Freeman said the guidance is “clearly unconstitutional and illegal” and said the company has hundreds of thousands of users in Wisconsin. Kalshi enforcement and legal counsel head Robert DeNault said election markets certified by the CFTC and offered on federally regulated exchanges are legal. A Polymarket spokesperson said the company will respond to the commission’s claims through the appropriate legal process. Both companies said their products are tradable financial contracts, not gambling.