Despite Trump’s Concerns, Absentee Ballots on Their Way to WI Voters

An absentee ballot. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Absentee ballots are on their way to some Wisconsin voters, even as President Donald Trump’s executive order on mail-in voting is in the courts.

As of Monday, almost 50,000 ballots were on their way to Wisconsin voters, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission. The day before, President Donald Trump once again asked the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on his order to restrict mail-in voting.

The high court previously cleared a path for his order, which would require states to turn over data about voters who request to vote absentee, and give the U.S. Postal Service authority not to deliver ballots to certain voters.

But they did not weigh in on the order itself. In the meantime, the Postal Service published a rule explaining how it would carry out the order.

A lower federal court has twice blocked that rule, which would essentially give the postal service control over a list of who is — and isn’t — allowed to vote absentee.

As the Supreme Court considers the Trump administration’s emergency request to lift that injunction, Wisconsin’s clerks, who locally administer elections, are sending out ballots under the usual process. Last week, the Wisconsin Elections Commission issued guidance saying the new federal rule is not in effect.

Many communities have already begun to send out absentee ballots, including the city of Madison, the Madison city clerk’s office announced Tuesday.

Attorneys for the Trump administration noted that timing in requesting the Supreme Court’s weigh in.

“Once those ballot envelopes enter the mailstream, there is no retrieving them,” Solicitor General John Sauer said in the filing. “And while the injunction allows the Postal Service and the States to continue taking steps to ensure that their envelopes satisfy the Rule’s requirements … each day the injunction is in place risks sowing confusion and chaos because the injunction makes those preparatory steps voluntary, rather than mandatory.”

The Supreme Court is not expected to rule on the Trump administration request until after Wednesday afternoon.

Wisconsin is not the only state that has said complying with these changes — which would also affect envelope design, requiring municipalities to buy special printers — would be impossible this close to the November elections.

State law also has a strict deadline for mailing ballots to overseas and military voters. Those must be in the mail within 48 days of the election — which this year is Sept. 17.

Wisconsin voters can use the My Vote Wisconsin website to request an absentee ballot, and track its status.

Absentee ballots on their way to Wisconsin voters, as Supreme Court considers Trump’s restrictions was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.