With just weeks left before Election Day, several states and municipalities are intensifying efforts to ban ballot drop boxes. Critics argue that the use of these boxes, introduced during the 2020 election, opens the door to potential voter fraud, leading states like Ohio, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania to take action.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) recently directed that only individual voters can submit their own absentee ballots at drop boxes, with no one allowed to deliver another person’s ballot. This decision followed a court ruling in July that partially relaxed state laws on who could return absentee ballots for disabled voters. LaRose’s directive now requires anyone assisting voters to sign a legal attestation form.
LaRose has also been active in identifying and prosecuting cases of voter fraud. His office uncovered hundreds of non-citizens who had registered to vote illegally, and over 100 were referred for criminal charges.
In Wisconsin, two cities in Waukesha County — Brookfield and New Berlin — have decided to ban drop boxes, despite a ruling from the Wisconsin Supreme Court allowing their use. City officials argued that the continued use of drop boxes was no longer necessary with the pandemic winding down, and maintaining the boxes proved difficult for election workers.
In Pennsylvania, Westmoreland County voted to ban ballot drop boxes earlier this year, with other counties following their lead. Beaver, Butler, and Fayette counties have all moved away from using the boxes, citing decreased usage since 2020 as the reason for the ban.
As Election Day nears, states and cities are divided on whether to continue allowing ballot drop boxes or eliminate them altogether, raising questions about election integrity and the future of absentee voting.
