State of Wisconsin

Wisconsin Drop Box Challenge

Teigen v. Wisconsin Elections Commission

Lawsuit filed by conservative group Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) on behalf of two voters against the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) challenging the legal status of drop boxes for absentee voting. The complaint asks the court to ban the use of drop boxes and require that voters mail or return their own completed ballots to designated officials. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice, League of Women Voters of Wisconsin and Disability Rights Wisconsin were granted intervention in the case to protect the use of drop boxes ahead of the 2022 election cycle. After a trial court judge granted summary judgment and a preliminary injunction banning drop boxes, the state and intervenors immediately appealed. A state appellate court stayed (meaning paused) the trial court judge’s ruling until primaries are held on Feb. 15, meaning that drop boxes were eligible for use through that date. The parties appealed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which rejected WILL’s attempt to undo the stay for the Feb. 15 elections but agreed to take over the case from the appellate court. On July 8, the Wisconsin Supreme Court of held that ballot drop boxes are unauthorized under current Wisconsin election laws, thereby banning their use across the state.

Case Documents (Trial court)

Case Documents (APPELLATE COURT)

Case Documents (WI supreme court)

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