Ballot drop boxes will not be in use after City of Brookfield common council vote

BROOKFIELD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Voters in Brookfield will have one less way to cast their ballot come November. In a 10-4 decision, the city of Brookfield common council voted to reject the use of drop boxes during the November election. 

This is the second city in Waukesha County to reject the use of drop boxes. New Berlin will not have drop boxes available for the November election.

The Supreme Court of Wisconsin may have ruled drop boxes are legal, but the decision to utilize them rests on the shoulders of city clerks. In Brookfield, city attorney Jenna Merten and city clerk Michelle Luedtke wrote in a memo sent to city council members, "while the city could utilize a drop box, we do not need to do so."

Ald. Michael Hallquist who represents district 4 says the city chose to vote on drop boxes per the recommendation of the clerk but disagreed with the final decision. 

“I don’t think our community was even able to fully weigh in on this issue," said Hallquist. “For some people, access to the ballot is not as easy as others."

Ald. Chuck Bloom III, who also represents District 4 voted against drop boxes, citing election integrity as a concern. 

“Voter integrity, for me, is the most important thing we can have," said Bloom at the meeting. 

Election officials say there is no proof of widespread voter fraud from the use of droboxes. Hallquist says without ballot drop boxes, some people may have less accessibility when it comes to voting. 

"Are we as a municipality accommodating and meeting the needs of our residents who may have more physical challenges and, in this case, I think this is where we dropped the ball.”

Bloom, at the meeting says Brookfield has other accommodations in place for disabled and senior voters including extended office hours at city hall and disabled parking spaces for voters to hand their ballots to election officials.

“People are happy to come and vote. Are there people who can't vote? We go to the nursing home and take care of them," said Bloom.