Press Release: Gov. Evers Highlights Wisconsin Supreme Court Decision to Restore Absentee Ballot Drop Boxes as a Safe, Secure Voting Option in Wisconsin Elections

State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 07/05/2024 09:49 AM CDT
Office of Governor Tony Evers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 5, 2024
Contact: GovPress@wisconsin.gov 
 
Gov. Evers Highlights Wisconsin Supreme Court Decision to Restore Absentee Ballot Drop Boxes as a Safe, Secure Voting Option in Wisconsin Elections
 
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today released the following statement regarding the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision in Priorities USA v. Wisconsin Elections Commission. 

“At the very heart of our democracy is the fundamental freedom to vote, and drop box voting is a safe and secure way to help make sure every eligible Wisconsinite is able to cast their ballot. Across our country, election officials have chosen to use drop boxes to ensure that all eligible voters can freely cast their ballots, all while keeping ballots safe and secure.

“Today’s Wisconsin Supreme Court decision affirms what voting rights advocates, local elections officials, and countless others have argued all along: drop box voting is safe, secure, and legal, and local clerks and election administrators should be empowered at the local level to make decisions that make sense for their local communities. This is a victory for our democracy, and we’re going to keep fighting to ensure that every eligible voter can cast their ballot safely, securely, and as easily as possible to make sure their voices are heard.” 

Earlier this year, the Wisconsin Supreme Court agreed to take up Priorities USA v. Wisconsin Elections Commission and review a previous 2022 decision banning most drop boxes in the state—a decision Gov. Evers urged the court to reverse. In April, the governor sought to intervene in the case and filed a brief urging the Wisconsin Supreme Court to affirm that local election clerks are able to choose ballot drop boxes as one secure option for ballot returns in their communities, arguing Wisconsin’s election laws do not prohibit drop boxes.

Prior to the 2022 ruling, mailboxes and drop boxes were used as a method of delivering ballots in Wisconsin’s free and fair elections. For several election cycles, local clerks throughout the state ensured the security of absentee voting through secure drop boxes and by implementing protections that track ballots and maintain a strict chain of custody to ensure every eligible vote is counted.

In his filing, Gov. Evers argued that the law empowers municipal clerks with the discretion to establish and operate drop boxes in their communities as one secure option for voting. A copy of the governor’s brief is available here.
 
An online version of this release is available here.
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