A Wisconsin appeals court overturned a lower court ruling that had permitted disabled persons to receive absentee ballots by email, stating that such an order would disrupt the voting status quo. The appeals court's decision comes shortly before the April 1 elections, where voters will elect a new Wisconsin Supreme Court justice and the state's education official. Advocates, including Disability Rights Wisconsin, argued that the lack of email absentee voting violates the rights of disabled voters. The court's ruling will not be further appealed, focusing instead on the merits of the original case.
The appeals court ruled that disabled voters cannot receive absentee ballots by email, overruling a Dane County ruling just three weeks before the April 1 election.
Disability Rights Wisconsin and others argued that not having email absentee voting violates their independence and privacy, prompting the earlier court ruling.
The appeals court stated that changing the process for absentee ballots would significantly disrupt the status quo, which currently only allows email ballots for military voters.
Judge Everett Mitchell’s earlier ruling allowing email voting for disabled voters was viewed by the appeals court as a misguided temporary injunction.
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