“Today is a victory for Democracy and the rule of law. The Wisconsin Elections Commission
and clerks in Madison, Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and elsewhere broke the law by allowing absentee voting drop boxes and ballot harvesting in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
“Today’s ruling also validates my complaint against the City of Racine for allowing ballot harvesting in the April 2022 election. The Wisconsin Elections Commission should immediately rule on my complaint and sanction the city of Racine for breaking election law. The fact is, Mayor Mason and Clerk Coolidge’s rationale for accepting harvested ballots (that the deliverer was an agent of the voter) has been expressly rejected by the Wisconsin Supreme Court:
Nothing is found in the statutes concerning absentee voting that indicates
legislative disposition to permit the absentee ballot to be delivered by agent.
Reading the election statutes in context and as a whole, we conclude an
absentee ballot delivered in person under Wis. Stat. §6.87(4)(b)1. must be
delivered personally by the voter. Unlike Wis. Stat. § 6.86, which allows the
receipt of an absentee ballot through an agent under particular circumstances
and subject to detailed procedures, no similar language authorizes voters not
meeting the exceptions outlined under § 6.86 to cast a ballot through delivery
by an agent. (Internal citations omitted.)
“Today’s ruling does not mean voters should not remain vigilant in monitoring the
elections in August and November. On the contrary, it is more important than ever that
citizens make sure our laws are followed to ensure fair elections.”
