Supreme Court keeps Wisconsin absentee voting rules in place

Wisconsin procedures stay in place

The U.S. Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to put new mail-voting requirements in place for the midterm election, so Wisconsin clerks will continue using the state’s existing absentee-ballot procedures. The administration sought a barcode system and a master eligibility list overseen by the U.S. Postal Service.

The order arrived after Wisconsin clerks had mailed more than 190,000 absentee ballots. Changing procedures at that point would have forced election workers and voters to adjust after voting materials were already in circulation.

Don Millis, the Republican chair of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, said clerks know how to proceed because the decision leaves the process unchanged. He said officials will encourage voters to return ballots early because some clerks have experienced mail-delivery delays.

How the dispute reached the court

Trump asked the Supreme Court to allow the rules after a federal district judge in Massachusetts extended an order preventing the Postal Service from implementing them. Wisconsin was among the states that sued. The Supreme Court’s action left that block in place for the election.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, said the litigation prevented a potentially severe disruption. He also said he did not expect the administration to evade the court’s action and stressed that compliance with court orders is essential.

Trump criticized the decision and called mail-in voting corrupt, but he offered no evidence of widespread fraud. U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said executive action is difficult and that he supports measures intended to increase confidence in elections, including voter identification.

For Wisconsin voters, the immediate instruction is straightforward: follow the absentee-voting process already administered by local clerks. The court action does not create a barcode requirement or move ballot eligibility decisions to a Postal Service-controlled master list.