With just over two weeks to go until the November election, Wisconsin is a key battleground state in the race for president, as well as the U.S. Senate. Now, voters in the Badger State have fewer options when it comes to absentee voting.
Counties, cities and towns in the state have cut back drastically on the number of absentee drop boxes. That number is down by more than 80% since the 2020 presidential election when there were at least 500 available. This year, there are reportedly 78 drop boxes in 42 communities or municipalities.
Milwaukee and Madison, large cities with a Democratic voter advantage, have 14 each. However, many communities report only having one. A voter advocacy group in Wisconsin found that dozens of towns and small rural communities have no ballot drop boxes at all. Many are in conservative communities.
Joe Biden won Wisconsin by less than one percentage point over Donald Trump in 2020. Some Republicans have insisted that drop boxes are not safe when it comes to election security and believe their use increases the chances of voter fraud.
Conservatives won a court battle in 2022 that challenged the use of unstaffed drop boxes in public places. The Wisconsin Supreme Court later overturned that ruling, leaving it up to local governments to decide whether to use them.
