WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Marathon County GOP Chair Jack Hoogendyk is asking all municipalities in the county to remove their absentee ballot dropboxes immediately following the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling on Friday declaring them illegal.
Hoogendyk tells WSAU News that he estimates about a dozen of them were installed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he says if nothing else they should be taken out to avoid any confusion with voters for next month’s Primary.
“Voters are [already] making their selections, filling out their ballots, and wanting to get them back to the Clerk. I think it’s a disservice to voters and will cause confusion if they think that they can still drop those ballots into a dropbox,” said Hoogendyk. “I think it would be wise and for that matter, in compliance with the law if all of those ballot boxes were removed immediately.”
Hoogendyk adds that in some cases officials had the boxes locked and labeled while they waited on further guidance from the State Supreme Court, but now that the decision has been handed down he’d like to see action. “The decision has been delivered so there’s no reason for them to leave that box in place.”
In a statement, Wausau City Clerk Kaitlyn Bernarde said the city is planning to remove the box, adding in full:
There are no new directions for City of Wausau electors who wish to vote absentee for the Partisan Primary election following the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s ruling on July 8. Electors who requested an absentee ballot received instructions with their ballot on how to return it, so it gets counted. This includes returning their completed and sealed ballot either by mail or dropping it off in person at City Hall. Absentee ballots need to be returned to City Hall by 8:00pm on Election Day to be counted. I encourage voters who are voting either by absentee or in person on Election Day to read the directions provided, especially during the unique partisan primary on August 9. The City of Wausau is working to remove the absentee ballot drop box, but it is locked and has been locked since the February 15 Spring Primary election.
Hoogendyk says he hasn’t contacted any municipal clerks in the county directly, calling Monday’s statement a first step in the matter. He adds if the party doesn’t see action “quickly” then the party will contact clerks directly.
