MADISON, WI (WSAU-WRN) — It’s a case that will decide how ballots can be returned for the upcoming mid-term primary and election.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday regarding absentee ballot drop boxes. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty argued they shouldn’t be allowed, saying the only secure way to deliver an absentee ballot is by dropping it off in person or through the mail.
The statutes currently read that a ballot must be delivered to the clerk, but it does not state how that must be done. But WILL President Rich Esenberg argued that other parts of the statutes contradict that and that a person should only be allowed to mail a ballot personally or deliver it to a clerk themselves.
Others have said that drop boxes could be used for ballot harvesting, especially if they are put in unsecured public areas.
Ballot drop boxes became a popular choice for voters to return their absentee ballots during the elections that took place in 2020 in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some preferred the option of mailing ballots to make sure their ballot was delivered in time to be counted instead of sending it through the mail.
Voting rights advocates have said that restricting how ballots can be returned to a municipal clerk’s office creates a burden for elderly or disabled voters. A decision is expected this summer before the fall election season.
