The Legislature's Republican-controlled rules committee has voted to force election officials to publish rules on absentee ballot drop boxes and corrections by early February, a move that will allow the committee to kill the policies.
The Wisconsin Election Commission issued guidance as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning in 2020 that allows local clerks to create alternate sites for returning absentee ballots.
The commission in 2016 issued guidance saying clerks could correct witness address mistakes on absentee ballot envelopes without contact the witness.
Republicans believe both policies are ripe for fraud. The rules committee voted 6-4 Monday to require the commission publish the policies as emergency rules by Feb. 9.
Once in rule form the committee can kill both policies.
