Republican Representative Janel Brandtjen has raised concerns about the safety of unmanned ballot drop boxes after fires were set in Portland and Vancouver, causing damage to hundreds of ballots. Brandtjen cited a previous incident in Green Bay where rain seeped into a drop box and destroyed ballots as another reason to avoid using these boxes. Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann emphasized the need for 24/7 surveillance of drop boxes to prevent such incidents from occurring. Schoemann’s county has allocated funding for security cameras at every drop box to ensure their protection.
In response to the security concerns, some local clerks in Wisconsin have installed surveillance cameras at ballot drop boxes. The Wisconsin Supreme Court has allowed the use of drop boxes, but did not provide guidelines on their security or usage. This lack of regulation led the mayor of Wausau to temporarily relocate the city’s drop box to the basement before eventually returning it to its original location.
The incidents in Oregon and Washington have prompted other municipalities to reconsider the security measures in place at their drop boxes. Despite the challenges posed by unmanned drop boxes, it is essential to balance convenience with security to ensure the integrity of the election process. Brandtjen’s warning serves as a reminder of the potential risks associated with unsupervised ballot drop boxes and the importance of implementing proper security measures to safeguard ballots.
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