In a contentious move, Wausau Mayor Doug Diny, known for his opposition to absentee ballot drop boxes, has physically removed the city’s single drop box. This action comes amidst ongoing debates in Wisconsin over the use of such boxes for absentee voting.
Mayor Doug Diny of Wausau, Wisconsin, a city with approximately 40,000 residents, removed the absentee ballot drop box situated outside City Hall on Sunday. The box had only recently been placed there as absentee ballots were dispatched to voters. Diny defended his actions on Wednesday, asserting that he did nothing wrong and comparing his actions to that of a routine maintenance task, devoid of any malicious intentions. “This is no different than the maintenance guy moving it out there,” Diny stated. “I am a member of staff. There is nothing nefarious going on here. I am hoping for a good result,” he added.
Diny, a conservative backed by the Republican Party in the nonpartisan mayoral race, took office in April. His removal of the drop box has incited protests in the city and drawn ire from advocates of absentee ballot drop boxes. The incident highlights the broader discord in Wisconsin, a pivotal swing state, regarding the use of absentee ballot drop boxes. While some Republican-led municipalities have rejected the use of drop boxes for the upcoming presidential election, cities with significant Democratic leanings, such as Milwaukee and Madison, continue to support them.
Historically, drop boxes were utilised extensively during the 2020 elections due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with at least 500 set up across more than 430 communities. Despite allegations by former President Donald Trump and other Republicans suggesting that drop boxes facilitated fraud—claims made without substantial evidence—many Democrats and some Republicans maintain that the boxes are secure. The controversy reached the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which initially banned the use of drop boxes in 2022. However, the ruling was reversed in July by a newly liberal-majority court, granting individual communities the authority to decide on their utilisation.
In Wausau, the placement of the drop box had not been discussed between Mayor Diny and City Clerk Kaitlyn Bernarde. Diny justified his unilateral decision to remove the box, citing security concerns. The drop box, while under video surveillance, had not been bolted down, raising fears that it was not adequately secured. “If somebody would have put it in their pickup truck and drove it away, the police would be looking for them for theft of property,” Diny explained. He insisted that his actions were in line with ensuring proper and consensual decision-making by the city council, rather than acting unilaterally without public input.
The move by Mayor Diny has been met with significant criticism. Pamela Bannister, a Wausau resident, called for Diny to apologise and return the drop box during a city council meeting. “This is the kind of action that is designed to stir the pot,” Bannister argued. “It does not tamp down the rhetoric that we are all facing in this election cycle. It accomplishes nothing positive and amounts to, in my estimation, voting interference and intimidation.”
The incident underscores the ongoing polarisation and contentious nature of absentee ballot drop box usage in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Elections Commission has advised clerks to contact law enforcement if there are any attempts to tamper with or prevent the use of drop boxes. Furthermore, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission has recommended several measures to ensure the security of drop boxes, particularly those not located within buildings. These recommendations include video surveillance, securing the boxes, placing them in well-lit areas, and establishing a clear chain of custody for ballot retrieval. Currently, the Wausau drop box is held within City Hall as the debate over its fate continues.
The removal of the absentee ballot drop box by Mayor Diny has intensified the debate over ballot security and the methods of absentee voting in Wisconsin. As the issue remains unresolved, it highlights the broader national discussions concerning election integrity and voter accessibility.
