The ballot drop box that now sits in front of Wausau City Hall is once again the subject of attention on Tuesday.
A contentious night outside and inside council chambers, over the actions of Mayor Doug Diny.
Both protestors and supporters lined the sidewalk for over an our, many wearing hard hats.
That's a nod to the picture Mayor Diny took of himself at the end of September, moving the city's absentee ballot drop box away on a dolly while donning a hard hat.
Diny previously acknowledged that his action was taken without the consult of City Clerk Kaitlyn Bernarde.
Since then, the state Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the matter.
"This is a legal issue, we have filed with the Department of Justice, and justice will be served. The ballot box according to the Supreme Court, it should be out," said Nancy Stencil Wausau resident.
Tuesday, protestors and supporters alike flocked to the city hall for the monthly common council meeting where an agenda item was set to evaluate the possible removal of the city's drop box, which had been put back outside at the end of September.
Overnight, that agenda item was changed to call for funding for extra security for the box instead.
Voters on both sides of the aisle expressed their opinions on the matter.
"I think in the end, not having a box it eliminates any problems, any questions about the outcome of the election," said Mary Cherf.
"Wanna push back against disinformation, there's a lot that's been going around the community that ballot drop boxes are not secure and that's just the result of these campaigns to get people to believe things that aren't true," said Jay Coldwell.
They made it plain just what they thought of their representatives.
"Is your political game more important than this community because it sure seems like you care more about that than you do about the people that you are elected to represent," said one resident.
"And so now the community is in an uproar because of the ballot box, and Clerk Bernarde in whom I'm shocked and disappointed has tarnished her name by trying to turn this issue into something that could have been prevented," said another.
There were even calls for resignations.
"Mayor Diny took it out which I think he should have done. Now I hear that it's back out before the resolution made it down. My thoughts are that's insubordination by the Clerk, insubordination is termination," said David Jobelius.
No decision was made at Tuesday's meeting. In order to vote on the matter they would have had to suspend council's rules.
Failure to do so effectively killed the proposal for extra security.
