City of Madison drop box WRN image
The state Supreme Court ruled Friday that absentee ballot drop boxes are not allowed under Wisconsin law.
In a 4-3 decision, Justice Brian Hagedorn ruled on the side of the court’s conservative justices that the Wisconsin Elections Commission was in error when it allowed the use of those drop boxes during the height of of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ruling means ballots must be dropped off at the clerk’s office or mailed. The court declined to rule on whether or not other people can help deliver those ballots.
Reaction to the court’s ruling followed sharply defined partisan lines, as Democrats strongly support the use drop boxes. Republicans have opposed them, claiming their use resulted in “ballot harvesting.”
“Today’s decision is another in a long line of Wisconsin Republicans’ successes to make it harder for Wisconsinites to exercise their right to vote, to undermine our free, fair, and secure elections, and to threaten our democracy,” Governor Tony Evers said in a statement.
“Today’s decision demonstrates that the rule of law prevails and the illegal drop boxes are finally going to stop,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in a tweet. “This is a giant step forward in our efforts to ensure election integrity.”
Today’s decision demonstrates that the rule of law prevails and the illegal drop boxes are finally going to stop. This is a giant step forward in our efforts to ensure election integrity. Our next step has to be electing a new governor who will sign additional election reforms.
— Speaker Robin Vos (@SpeakerVos) July 8, 2022
The case began in 2021, when the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty filed a lawsuit in Waukesha County which argued that state law does not mention ballot drop boxes. A Waukesha County judge ruled against their use in January, and the state Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the matte in April.