Two years ago, Republicans voiced support for a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling which banned the use of ballot drop boxes outside of election offices.
Yet in what would be a bombshell move, the state’s highest judicial body seems poised to reverse that decision.Â
Liberal group says boxes “make voting more accessible”
According to NBC News, the Wisconsin Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Monday in a lawsuit brought by the pro-Democrat group Priorities USA.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments Monday in a pivotal case that will determine the future of absentee ballot drop boxes in the battleground state’s elections. https://t.co/MVVSwZeXUL
— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) May 12, 2024
The suit is receiving support from several other left-leaning organizations, including Common Cause Wisconsin. Jay Heck serves as the group’s executive director and he says ballot drop boxes help encourage electoral participation.
“They make voting more accessible and possible for people. That’s the reason we support it,” Heck was quoted as telling NBC News.
GOP chairman warns of “possibility for hijinks”
“Despite worries and claims by election deniers and conspiracy theorists, drop boxes were not used for any nefarious purpose like they’ve claimed,” he added.
However, Wisconsin GOP Chairman Brian Schimming told the network that allowing the widespread use of ballot drop boxes opens “the possibility for hijinks” given concerns over their security.
Schimming went on to complain that “the law keeps moving around in this state unnecessarily,” something he maintains is a recipe for “confusion” and “chaos.”
“I’m not hostile to looking at things differently,” the Republican leader declared before objecting to what he called “a Supreme Court who feels as though they’re the second Legislature.”
Liberals took control of state Supreme Court last year
NBC News noted how in its July of 2022 decision, the Wisconsin State Supreme Court ruled that it was lawmakers rather than the Wisconsin Elections Commission who had the authority to implement rules regarding ballot drop boxes.
However, that ruling broke down along partisan lines and came when conservative justices held a four to three majority.
The court’s composition flipped the following year when its liberal faction gained a seat, a fact which prompted Priorities USA to file suit.
Wisconsin is considered to be a critical swing state that could play an outsized role this November. Former President Donald Trump carried its 10 Electoral College votes in 2016 while President Joe Biden managed to secure them in 2020.
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Author: Adam Peters
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