MADISON - Voters casting absentee ballots this fall for the highest state offices won't be able to return their ballots in upcoming elections by using drop boxes following a ruling Friday by the Wisconsin Supreme Court's conservative majority.
The 4-3 ruling is a win for Republicans who now oppose the longstanding use of ballot drop boxes after their use proliferated during the coronavirus pandemic and was heavily criticized by former President Donald Trump, who alleged with no evidence that absentee voting was rife with fraud and led to his re-election loss in 2020.
Writing for the majority, Justice Rebecca Bradley said state law does not permit drop boxes and only state lawmakers may make that policy — not the Wisconsin Elections Commission, which issued guidance to clerks allowing them.
"WEC's staff may have been trying to make voting as easy as possible during the pandemic, but whatever their motivations, WEC must follow Wisconsin statutes. Good intentions never override the law," Bradley wrote.
In a separate concurring opinion, Justice Brian Hagedorn urged those who are unhappy with the ruling to vote.
"... some citizens will cheer this result; others will lament. But the people of Wisconsin must remember that judicial decision-making and politics are different under our constitutional order," Hagedorn wrote.
"Our obligation is to follow the law, which may mean the policy result is undesirable or unpopular. Even so, we must follow the law anyway. To the extent the...
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