A voter delivers her ballot to an official ballot drop box in Milwaukee on Nov. 3, 2020. Liberals on the Wisconsin Supreme Court cleared the way Friday for the use of absentee-ballot drop boxes, changing the rules for voting four months before the presidential election and reversing a decision made by conservatives two years ago when they controlled the court.
The 4-3 ruling came a year after liberals took a majority on the top court in a crucial swing state and six months after theythat had long given Republicans huge majorities in the state legislature.
Ballot drop boxes were available for years in some Wisconsin communities, and their use was greatly expanded for the 2020 presidential election as voters turned to absentee voting because of the covid-19 pandemic. Top Wisconsin Republicans supported them at the time but turned against them after Joe Biden narrowly beat Donald Trump in the state.of a group of voters who argued that ballot drop boxes could not be used because state law did not specifically authorize them.
Supporters say drop boxes give voters a secure, convenient way to return ballots so they can be counted. Opponents say the legislature should determine whether they are allowed and, if it does, set rules to ensure they are properly monitored and evenly distributed around the state.Friday’s decision offered a reminder of how judicial elections can quickly change the direction of a state.
The labor law, known as Act 10, led to massive protests and an attempt to remove Gov. Scott Walker from office. Walker became the first governor in U.S. history to survive a recall election and served two terms before