Marquette Poll Finds Majority Of Wisconsin Voters Want Political Ads To Disclose Donors

The Marquette University poll released on Wednesday found that most people want political ads to disclose the source of the money behind the commercials.

Of the registered Wisconsin voters who participated, 76 percent wanted groups that air campaign ads to list their top donors, as is required in some other states.

Marquette pollster Charles Franklin said half the respondents were asked about disclosure by out-of-state groups, and the “yes” response topped 80 percent.

“This is a lively area of debate in the law nationally, not just in Wisconsin,” said Franklin. “The evolution of court doctrine about this is something that’s very dynamic — and as a geek just fun and interesting to watch.”

Outside groups have already been spending lots of cash in the race for Wisconsin governor, and the flow of funding is expected to increase.

It’s unclear if or when Wisconsin lawmakers will demand more disclosure requirements in campaign ads. For the next two months, the news media and opposing campaigns will be trying to decipher who paid for what.