Nass demands commission publish drop box, absentee rules

One of the leaders of the Legislature’s rules committee is demanding that the Wisconsin Elections Commission publish emergency regulations governing absentee ballot drop boxes and corrections to absentee ballot information by early February.

Republican state Sen. Steve Nass made the demand Thursday. He wants the commission to publish rules codifying guidance to local clerks in March 2020 expanding the use of drop boxes.

He also wants to see published regulations codifying guidance issued in 2016 that allows clerks to correct mistakes in absentee voters’ witness addresses on their ballot envelopes.

Publication would give the committee a chance to invalidate the rules, in turn negating the guidance.