You and you alone are responsible for getting your absentee ballot to your municipal clerk for upcoming elections. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 4-3 Friday morning that drop boxes, popularized during the first year of the pandemic and demonized in the months since, are illegal. Furthermore, the high court ruled that absentee ballots must be delivered by only the voter and not by a friend or relative unless they are mailed in ahead of time. According to Supreme Court documents, there are currently no restrictions on who can place the ballot in the mailbox. Common Cause Wisconsin Executive Director Jay Heck believes the decision will make it harder for many Wisconsinites to cast their ballot. 

Justice Rebecca Bradley wrote the majority opinion on the issue on behalf of her fellow conservative high court members, saying that drop boxes can potentially be targeted for voter fraud since all the ballots would be in one spot. She also recognizes the Wisconsin Elections Commission's attempt to keep voting safe for everyone but that their actions must still comply with state law. In her dissent, Justice Ann Walsh Bradley challenged the majority opinion's view that drop boxes hurt Wisconsin voters' trust in elections, saying voter suppression laws and unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud are more dangerous. The new rules will be in place for the fall primary on August 9th and the general election on November 8th.