Wausau Mayor Removes Ballot Drop Box From Outside City Hall Last Weekend

Thursday, September 26th, 2024 -- 10:00 AM

(Bob Hague, Wisconsin Radio Network and Mike Leischner, WSAU) Wausau’s absentee ballot dropbox appeared and disappeared outside City Hall last weekend.

According to Bob Hague with the Wisconsin Radio Network and Mike Leischner with WSAU, Mayor Doug Diny admits to wheeling the box into his office after noticing it wasn’t bolted down and secured. Diny told WSAU he was “dumbfounded” and that the unsecured box “could have been thrown in a river.”

Diny said he was caught off guard and would like more input from the city council and the public, although the Wisconsin Supreme Court recently gave authority over the boxes to local clerks.The mayor said he’ll respect any decision to have the dropbox placed and secured outside City Hall if the Clerk chooses.

A photo of Diny wheeling the box into City Hall drew sharp backlash from some on the city council including Council President Lisa Rasmussen who questioned the legality and ethics of the move. It’s not clear that any laws were broken.

Wausau's City Clerk has turned details of the ballot dropbox removal over to the Marathon County District Attorney and Wisconsin Elections Commission. Kaitlyn Bernarde cites state statute calling for her to "report suspected election frauds, irregularities, or violations of which the clerk has knowledge to the district attorney and WEC."

Bernarde says while the box was not secured to the ground, it was locked and unable to accept ballots or any other documents and that it was her intent to have it secured and opened for use this week.

Bernarde says for now anyone with a ballot they'd like to return after hours can do so in the city's regular payment box outside City Hall.

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