Wisconsin city replaces ballot drop box after mayor carted it away

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — An absentee ballot drop box that the mayor of a central Wisconsin city removed a week ago was back in place on Monday.

The Wausau city clerk said the box was available outside of city hall “for residents to submit absentee ballots, payments, and other important city requests as was intended.”

Mayor Doug Diny removed the drop box on Sept. 22 without consulting with the clerk, who has the authority under a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling legalizing drop boxes to make one available. They are not mandatory in the state.

The incident is the latest example in swing state Wisconsin of the fight over whether communities will allow voters to use absentee ballot drop boxes. The Wisconsin Supreme Court in July ruled that drop boxes are legal, but left it up to local communities to decide whether to use them.

More than 60 towns, villages and cities in nine counties have opted out of using the boxes for the presidential election in November, according to a tally by the group All Voting is Local. Drop boxes are being embraced in heavily Democratic cities including Milwaukee and Madison.

Diny has said he wants the full Wausau city council discuss whether one should be offered. Absentee ballots began being mailed to voters on Sept. 19 ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

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