In a hearing Nov. 4, Republican lawmakers debated over a bill — introduced by Rep. Lindee Rae Brill, R-Sheboygan Falls — that would ban absentee ballot drop boxes, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. 

If ballot drop boxes are banned, voters would lose an option they currently have, Madison communications manager Dylan Brogan said. Ballot drop boxes allow voters to turn in their absentee ballots in a timely manner and ensure their vote gets counted in elections at all levels of government, he said. 

“It would eliminate an option in the city of Madison and many other communities that provide a safe and secure way to return an absentee ballot,” Brogan said.

Some republicans have concerns over the likelihood of the bill’s passage due to Gov. Tony Evers’ views on absentee ballot drop boxes. Following the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s ruling to restore absentee ballot drop boxes, Evers said it was a “victory for our democracy,” according to a press release. 

In 2022, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled the use of absentee ballot drop boxes was unlawful, however in 2024, the Wisconsin Supreme Court overruled the previous case, allowing for the use of absentee ballot drop boxes. 

The city of Madison has 14 absentee ballot drop box locations, where voters can drop off their ballots to be delivered to the clerk’s office in a secure and timely manner, Brogan said. 

“Some of it is functioning very much like a mailbox except it’s a lot shorter of a distance, it’s in front of a fire station and has cameras on it so it’s secure,” Brogan said. “It’s been a convenient way for people to vote by absentee in Madison.”

Absentee ballots can also be mailed in, however, Brogan said that in Madison they get sent to Milwaukee for processing then back to Madison. He said this can risk ballots being lost or not reaching the Madison clerk’s office in time to be counted. Ballot drop boxes are checked daily, so absentee ballots dropped off up to election day will be counted, Brogan said.