The Wisconsin Supreme Court Just Made Ballot Drop Boxes Illegal

On Friday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a ruling which rendered most ballot drop boxes illegal in the state. The Court found that state law, which requires that mail-in ballots be delivered to a “mailbox,” does not allow “delivery to an unattended ballot drop box.” The ruling stands as a victory for Republicans in the state, who have consistently attempted to outlaw ballot drop boxes to reduce the incredibly rare phenomenon of voter fraud. 

“Today’s ruling is a massive victory for election integrity,” wrote Paul Farrow, the chairman of the Wisconsin GOP. “Democrats have long abused the practice of ballot harvesting, which undermines voter confidence by interfering with the appropriate chain of custody of ballots—but with today’s decision, they’ll be forced into a fair fight that holds them accountable for their record.”

Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler wrote in response to the ruling that “[n]o matter their politics, those who believe in democracy strive to ensure that every eligible voter can cast a ballot. With its ruling today, the Wisconsin Supreme Court is making it more difficult to vote. It’s a slap in the face of democracy itself.”

Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the ruling on social media, arguing that it should somehow apply to past elections. Following the ruling, Trump wrote on the conservative social networking site Truth Social that Wisconsin House Speaker Robin Vos “has a decision to make! Does Wisconsin RECLAIM the Electors, turn over the Election to the actual winner (by a lot!), or sit back and do nothing as our Country continues to go to HELL? Brave American Patriots already have a Resolution on the Floor!”

However, concerns cited by Republicans—that drop boxes lead to increased voter fraud via “ballot harvesting”—are overblown. As CNN reports, ballot drop boxes are “designed and set up to securely receive