Madison, WI – Today, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled, in Richard Teigen v. WEC, that returning absentee ballots to drop boxes not at the clerk’s office violates Wisconsin election law.
Sen. Stroebel (R – Cedarburg) issued the following statement:
“For two years I have witnessed an exhausting array of activist local officials, the Wisconsin Elections Commission, democrat colleagues and media commentators insist that the use of drop boxes was so obviously legal that anyone opposing their widespread use simply wanted to attack democracy. I am glad the Wisconsin Supreme Court has restored compliance with the rule of law. This ruling vindicates all of my colleagues and constituents who have been pleading for their officials to address this issue.”
“The Supreme Court said it plainly, ‘[t]he statutory requirements governing absentee voting must be completely satisfied or ballots may not be counted.[i]’ Election administrators, both state and local, do not get to pick and choose which laws to enforce or follow. It is not the role of election administrators to defy state law because they think they know better, or have better intentions. The Supreme Court has just confirmed that those same people charged with election administration have been wrong for two years. Wisconsinites rightly expect every single election administrator to faithfully follow the law to restore public confidence.”
Senator Stroebel represents the 20th Senate District which includes parts of Ozaukee, Washington, Fond du Lac, Calumet and Sheboygan Counties.
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State Representative Timothy Ramthun (R-Campbellsport) issued the following statement in response to today’s Supreme Court ruling on absentee ballot drop boxes:
“Today, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 4-3 affirming that the use of absentee ballot dropboxes in Wisconsin is illegal.”
“I enthusiastically concur with the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s historic decision today to follow and enforce existing Wisconsin election law involving ballot drop boxes.”
“This decision is necessary to ensure the safety and security of all Wisconsin elections, and provides justification for why my office embraced the responsibility for the back look of how the November 2020 election was adversely affected.”
