Local clerks scramble to educate voters

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A Waukesha judge's ruling to prohibition ballot driblet boxes is getting pushback from section clerks who are near scrambling to amended voters up of the outpouring superior election.

On Thursday, Waukesha County Judge Michael Bohren ruled ballot driblet boxes are illegal, and prohibited voters from utilizing much than 500 driblet boxes placed passim the state.

The determination comes weeks earlier the Feb. 15 primary and days earlier tens of thousands of absentee ballots volition beryllium sent to voters.

"We're going to person to scramble, mostly connected education, due to the fact that voters are going to deliberation they tin usage a driblet box," said Scott McDonell, Dane County Clerk. "It's truly frustrating due to the fact that it makes nary consciousness astatine all."

While an entreaty to the ruling is expected, for present it means voters tin lone crook successful their absentee ballot by message oregon successful idiosyncratic to their section clerk.

Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall-Vogg said it truly puts voters and driblet boxes successful limbo for upcoming elections.

"Wisconsin has a past of getting these judicial decisions close earlier elections that creates confusion," said Woodall-Vogg.

Drop boxes became a fashionable enactment for voters implicit the past 2 years during the pandemic. Woodall Vogg said it gave voters "a portion of mind" due to the fact that galore were fearful of contracting COVID-19 if they voted successful person.

Attorneys who brought distant the suit reason driblet boxes should person ne'er been allowed since there's thing written astir them successful authorities law.  

"You tin hunt the statute and you volition not find the connection 'drop box' anywhere," said Luke Berg, lawyer for the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. "There are nary restrictions connected wherever they tin go, however galore determination tin be, connected however unafraid they tin be."

Woodall-Vogg slammed Berg's comments arsenic "ludicrous," noting each of Milwaukee's driblet boxes are monitored by 24-hours surveillance, secured, and person strict concatenation of custody laws.

The metropolis besides spent $20,000 to upgrade surveillance cameras to marque definite they show driblet boxes.

Republican lawmakers person tried to prohibition driblet boxes ever since Donald Trump's nonaccomplishment to Joe Biden by astir 21,000 votes successful Wisconsin.

They've besides passed a superior of predetermination bills seeking to restrict aboriginal voting, bounds who tin instrumentality absentee ballots and necessitate further documentation to beryllium idiosyncratic is considered indefinitely confined.

All of the measures person been blocked by Governor Tony Evers, which Republicans reason would person restored assurance successful our elections.

Democrats person long-called these efforts an onslaught connected democracy, and alternatively advocator to marque voting easier, not harder for people.