Absentee Ballot Boxes Saved By WI Appeals Court For 2022 Spring Primary

WISCONSIN — Wisconsinites will be able to use absentee ballot boxes to vote in the 2022 spring primary after the Wisconsin Court of Appeals on Monday pushed back a judge's order that would have restricted their use.

The appeals court ruled in favor of the Wisconsin Elections Commission after commissioners found that taking away drop boxes would cause harm to the election system in February 2022. The circuit court that restricted drop boxes acted "erroneously" when it denied a motion for a stay, according to court documents.

The order will expire on Feb. 15, which is election day for the Wisconsin 2022 Spring Primary.

Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Michael Bohren ruled on the side of law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty on Jan. 13, ordering that guidance on how to use absentee ballot boxes was against state law, the Wisconsin Examiner reported.

Commissioners would have had to withdraw all of their guidance and message all of their municipal voting clerks by Thursday, according to Bohren's ruling.

See Also: Judge Rules To End Drop Boxes In Wisconsin Elections

Advocacy groups like The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin and Disability Rights Wisconsin said in separate statements that changing the law around absentee ballot boxes so close to an election would create "chaos and confusion," as well as disenfranchise voters.

"Our elections are fair, safe and accurate but sham reviews and partisan games are increasingly making it more difficult for voters–especially youth, folks with disabilities, and people of color–to cast their ballots," The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin said.

The ruling ignored the fact that some voters are physically unable to put their ballots in the mail themselves, leaving those voters without options, the group added.

The court agreed that changing rules around absentee ballot boxes now would create confusion among local clerks and electors, according to a court document. The court said it hadn't yet established whether its stay will need to last past Feb. 15.

When the circuit court judge made his ruling, Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty said that commissioners' guidance was that absentee ballot boxes could be left unstaffed and that the guidance was against state law.

Local elections will be held:

• Feb. 15: Spring Primary
• April 5: Spring Election
• Aug. 9: Fall Primary
• Nov. 8: General Election.