Courts and boards reshape US absentee ballot rules before 2026 midterms
The gist
Wisconsin's elections commission voted 4-2 to bar voters from changing an absentee ballot once returned.
Court fights in Wisconsin, North Carolina and Montana are changing whether mailed ballots count.
How it unfolded
- Jul 9, 2026The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 4-2 to tell clerks that absentee voters cannot change their ballot after returning it (ballot spoiling).
- Jul 10, 2026The commission adopted the guidance, a day after members approved it, following a state appeals court decision.
- Jul 23, 2026Three voters sued the Wisconsin Elections Commission in Dane County Circuit Court, seeking an injunction to block the guidance.