Wisconsin Supreme Court bars the use of most ballot drop boxes

Conservatives have sought to tighten voting rules since the 2020 presidential election after the Wisconsin Supreme Court banned the use of most ballot drop boxes.

Absentee ballots must be submitted via mail, or the voter can bring their ballot to a local election office according to the ruling.

Justice Rebecca Bradley stated in the majority opinion that state law indicatesbodily presence for voters returning Absentee Ballots.

She wrote that the key phrase is "in person".

State law doesn't allow ballot drop boxes in other places than election clerk offices, according to Bradley.

Drop boxes made voting more accessible, according to Justice Ann Walsh Bradley. She said that the majority made it harder for people to vote.

"Although it pays lip service to the import of the right to vote, the majority/ lead opinion has the practical effect of making it more difficult to exercise it," the justice wrote. It's not a surprise that such a result happened. It seems that it has taken the opportunity to make it harder to vote or to make the process confusing whenever it has been presented with the chance.

Conservative activists in the state filed a lawsuit against the state election commission last year, claiming that drop boxes were illegal because they didn't comply with state law.

The state never mandated the use of drop boxes, but gave local clerks instructions on how to use them.

Drop boxes were set up across the state for the 2020 presidential election.

As the state's August 9 primary looms, voters will be choosing nominees in several key races, including the Democratic Senate primary where a candidate will emerge to challenge two-term Republican Sen. Ron Johnson

Absentee ballots were sent to voters last month.

The approach that the parties will take in increasing turnout will be impacted by the decision.

Republicans in the state have been resistant to mail-in ballots and have pushed their supporters to vote on Election Day.

Donald Trump broke the streak of Wisconsin voting solely for Democratic presidential nominees when he narrowly won the state.

In November 2020, now- President Joe Biden defeated Trump in Wisconsin by 20,000 votes. Despite the results being certified with no evidence of voter fraud, Trump has continued to question the accuracy of the results in the state.