A group of liberal activists called on the Department of Justice to investigate the actions of a Wisconsin mayor who moved an absentee drop box and posted a photo of himself doing it.
On Sept. 22, Wausau Mayor Doug Diny put on a hard hat and used a dolly to move the absentee drop box from in front of the city hall and into his office. The Republican ran for mayor and won while campaigning against drop boxes in elections.
Liberal activists accused him of election tampering, but Diny downplayed the incident.
“This is no different than the maintenance guy moving it out there,” Diny said. “I’m a member of staff. There’s nothing nefarious going on here. I’m hoping for a good result.”
He went on to say that he decided to move it when he saw that it wasn’t secure, and the city clerk said there were plans to secure the drop box to the ground before it was unlocked for use.
“As it stands now, I don’t have a dog in the hunt,” Diny explained. “I want it to be done properly and with the proper input and consent of citizens.”
The Wisconsin state Supreme Court had banned drop boxes in the state in 2022, but a more liberal court reversed the decision in July and allowed communities to determine their own rules regarding drop boxes. About 60 towns, villages, and cities in the state have opted out of using drop boxes for the presidential election.
Some residents demanded an investigation into the incident.
“This is the kind of action that’s designed to stir the pot,” said Wausau resident Pamela Bannister. “It does not tamp down the rhetoric that we’re all facing in this election cycle. It accomplishes nothing positive and amounts to, in my estimation, voting interference and intimidation.”
On Thursday, the Wisconsin Department of Justice confirmed that it was investigating the matter.
The drop box was locked at the time the mayor moved it, and it had no ballots inside. In Wisconsin, it is a felony to interfere with or impede voting in an election.
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