In a surprising turn of events, the city of Wausau, Wisconsin, has reinstated its absentee ballot drop box just one week after Mayor Doug Diny unilaterally removed it.
According to an Associated Press report, the drop box was back in place outside Wausau's city hall on Monday, following its removal by Mayor Diny on September 22.
The city clerk, Kaitlyn Bernarde, confirmed that the box is now available for residents to submit absentee ballots, payments, and other important city requests as originally intended.
Mayor Diny's decision to remove the drop box without consulting the city clerk has raised eyebrows and prompted legal scrutiny. Under a recent Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling, city clerks have the authority to make drop boxes available, though they are not mandatory across the state.
The mayor's action has led to a request for an investigation by the Marathon County district attorney, who has asked the state Department of Justice to look into the matter. Both Mayor Diny and the city clerk have confirmed that the drop box was locked and empty when it was removed.
Despite the controversy, Mayor Diny maintains that he did nothing wrong. He has stated that he wants the full Wausau city council to discuss whether a drop box should be offered, even as absentee ballots began being mailed to voters on September 19 for the November 5 election.
The incident in Wausau is part of a larger debate over absentee ballot drop boxes in Wisconsin. In July, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that drop boxes are legal but left the decision to use them up to local communities.
This ruling has led to a patchwork of policies across the state. More than 60 towns, villages, and cities in nine Wisconsin counties have opted out of using drop boxes for the upcoming presidential election, according to the group All Voting is Local.
In contrast, heavily Democratic cities like Milwaukee and Madison are embracing the use of drop boxes. This disparity highlights the political divisions surrounding voting methods in the crucial swing state.
The use of ballot drop boxes saw a significant increase during the 2020 election, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In that year, at least 500 drop boxes were set up in more than 430 Wisconsin communities, with cities like Madison and Milwaukee each having more than a dozen.
The popularity of drop boxes extended beyond Wisconsin, with 39 other states utilizing them during the 2022 election, according to data from the Stanford-MIT Healthy Elections Project. This widespread adoption underscores the evolving nature of voting methods across the United States.
Wausau City Clerk Kaitlyn Bernarde responded to the recent controversy, stating that the drop box has been securely anchored to the ground, following guidelines from the Wisconsin Elections Commission and the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. She also noted that the box was not attached to the ground when Mayor Diny removed it a week ago, suggesting that additional security measures have now been implemented.
The reinstatement of Wausau's absentee ballot drop box marks the latest development in Wisconsin's ongoing debate over voting accessibility. The incident highlights the tensions between local officials and state regulations, as well as the broader political divide over election procedures. As the November election approaches, the use of ballot drop boxes remains a contentious issue in this key battleground state.
