Dropbox Returned Outside City Hall in Wausau

Tuesday, October 1st, 2024 -- 11:00 AM

(Mike Leischner, WSAU) Wausau’s payment, document, and ballot dropbox has returned outside City Hall.

In a press release, City Clerk Kaitlyn Bernarde says the box has been secured to the ground “in accordance with guidelines from the Wisconsin Elections Commission and the United States Election Assistance Commission.”

The box will accept “absentee ballots, payments, and other important city requests as was intended.” Bernarde’s statement adds that the box will replace the city’s “previously utilized silver payment box in front of City Hall [which] has been removed and will no longer be in service. We appreciate the community’s patience.”

Wausau Mayor Doug Diny confirmed to WAOW TV that he turned the box over to Bernarde on Sunday. He held the box in his office last week after removing it on September 22nd, saying he was concerned that someone could have stolen it since it wasn’t secured to the ground. He says he still intends to bring the issue of using the box for absentee ballots to the full Council in October.

“I don’t care if I win or lose a vote on an issue. I just want to have [a discussion] on the issue and then place it to a vote. Win or lose, if we do that we are not putting anything to doubt,” said Diny. The incident led to a tense back-and-forth between the Clerk and the Mayor.

On Friday it was announced that the Portage County Sheriff’s Office will investigate the issue, which Diny says he is aware of. He has retained an attorney, though says he has not been contacted as part of the investigation.

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