Voting rights advocates rally in Milwaukee in support of reinstating ballot drop boxes

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (CBS 58)-- Voting rights advocates across Wisconsin rallied on Monday in favor of reinstating ballot drop boxes in light of the Wisconsin Supreme Court revisiting a 2022 decision that banned them.

In Milwaukee, a number of organizations voiced their concerns and sent a message to the Wisconsin Supreme Court: Drop boxes are essential to making voting accessible.

"For rural voters who have to drive far and wide across Wisconsin on Election Day, for people in large cities who have limited ballot return options," said James Stein, Deputy Advocacy Director at ACLU of Wisconsin.

"Whether you are a single parent who can't make it to the polls in person, a hard-working health care worker who is working long [hours] and can't make it to the polls, you should be able to drop your ballot off and your vote should be counted," added Pastor Mose Fuller, on behalf of Souls to the Polls.

Advocates argue absentee ballot drop boxes have been used for decades as a secure way for voters to return their ballots.

The popularity of absentee voting exploded during the pandemic in 2020. According to AP News, more than 40% of all voters in Wisconsin casted mail ballots.

Monday, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu told CBS 58 News that even hearing this case goes against the history of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

"The challenge with the Supreme Court is their ignoring past precedent, they're just throwing it out the window," he said.

In the past, many GOP leaders have made unsubstantiated claims that drop boxes lead to voter fraud.

Iuscely Flores, an advocate with the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign said she wanted to address one of her biggest election concerns: Misinformation surrounding immigrants and voting.

"As an undocumented person that has Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), it’s simply a work permit in Wisconsin, I can get a driver's license but at the DMV, I am automatically flagged as somebody that is (an) unlawful resident alien and if I were to try to even apply to register to vote, it’s automatically flagged in the voter file as somebody that can’t,” said Flores.

Community leaders added that not having drop boxes as an option is an attack on democracy and those eligible to vote should be able to do so without obstacles.

"No matter where we work or what part of the state we are, our home is in, working Wisconsinites should be able to vote easily and safely" said Pastor Fuller.