Wisconsin Supreme Court Bans Ballot Drop Boxes

Facts

• The Wisconsin (WI) Supreme Court voted 4-3 on Fri. to outlaw absentee-ballot drop boxes, ruling that absentee-ballots must either be returned by mail or personally delivered to local election offices.¹
• The court also ruled that only the voter may hand-deliver a ballot, barring in-person collection efforts by third parties that critics call ballot harvesting.¹
• However, the court didn't address whether someone other than the voter can send a ballot by mail, likely meaning that people can still collect multiple ballots and send them via mail.²
• The lawsuit was brought forward by two WI voters who argued that drop boxes cause 'doubts about the fairness of the elections and erodes voter confidence in the electoral process.'³
• The case came after an increase in WI votes cast through drop boxes during the pandemic-era 2020 elections. Before COVID, early voting was predominantly in-person.⁴
• The ruling will take effect in time for the Aug. 9 primaries and the midterm elections this fall.²

Sources: ¹Wall Street Journal, ²PBS NewsHour, ³Daily Wire and ⁴New York Times.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by Slate. This decision not only complicates what had been a seamless voting process but also adds fuel to election-denying conspiracy theories - undermining free and fair elections under the guise of protecting them.
• Republican narrative, as provided by Townhall. This ruling is a win for those who care about maintaining election integrity. A legitimate election must work within the law, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court's decision is rightly enforcing this.