Ballot Box. MWC file photo.
MADISON, WI (WSAU) – The state of Wisconsin remains one of the key states in next month’s election, and a new report is highlighting how the upcoming election is expected to look different than in 2020.
According to the Associated Press, the Wisconsin Elections Commission is aware of just 78 ballot drop boxes being used across 42 communities statewide after more than 500 were used in over 430 communities during the 2020 election. Of the 78 ballot boxes reportedly in use, 28 of them are located in Milwaukee and Madison, while another seven are in use in Racine.
When asked by the outlet about the totals, state elections administrator Meagan Wolfe stated that her office is unsure of the accuracy of the number due to local election officials not being obligated to report the use of drop boxes to the state, and if a voter wanted more information about why their community doesn’t have one, they would need to discuss the matter with their local officials.
According to an analysis conducted by All Voting is Local, at least 60 towns, villages, and cities across the Badger State have publicly opted out of using ballot boxes this election cycle for a variety of reasons, with the inability to properly secure the box being the most common concern. However, many communities across the state have installed the boxes without the use of security measures such as working or reliable security cameras.
Meanwhile, data collected by election strategist John Couvillon highlights that early voting in Wisconsin and nationwide is down, with only 4.2 million early votes being received as of last week, which would represent a possible 45% drop in early voting by election day compared to 2020, when 158.6 million early votes were cast. The data further highlighted that mail-in voting is currently down 58% nationwide, with swing states like Georgia seeing a total drop of 84% and North Carolina seeing a drop of 75%, which may be caused in part by Hurricane Helene, though the totals were still on track to be down drastically before the storm hit.
In the three key Midwestern states that will decide the next president, Couvillon’s data shows requests for mail ballots have decreased by 24% in Michigan, 36% in Pennsylvania, and 59% in Wisconsin. If this trend were to continue throughout October, states like Pennsylvania may see up to one million fewer votes than in 2020, as the latest polling from Morning Consult shows Vice President Harris up only one percentage point to Keystone State and down one percentage point to former president Trump in Wisconsin.
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