GOP win: appeals court rules Wisconsin absentee ballots must be delivered to clerks by 8pm

Just the News

A federal appeals court has blocked a lower-court decision to extend the deadline for counting absentee ballots in battleground Wisconsin.

The decision is considered a win for Republicans who wanted the election night deadline to stand, under state law. However, Democrats are expected to appeal the decision Thursday to the Supreme Court.

If the appeals court ruling stands, absentee ballots must be delivered to Wisconsin election clerks by 8 p.m. on Election Day, adhering to state law.

Last month, U.S. District Judge William Conley ruled that any ballot that arrived in clerk’s offices by Nov. 9 will be counted, as long as they were postmarked by Nov. 3.

The 7th Circuit Court judges initially upheld Conley’s ruling on Sept. 29, rejecting the Republicans’ standing to intervene. After the Wisconsin Supreme Court affirmed that standing, the same three-judge panel delivered Thursday’s ruling, according to the Associated Press.

A federal court of appeals has reinstating Wisconsin's Election Day receipt deadline and rule out the possibility of accepting ballots through email.

“This is a huge victory for Wisconsin voters who reasonably expect timely and secure election results," said Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel.

Just the News on Friday morning attempted to reach the Democratic National Committee for comment. The group has yet to respond.

The RNC won a similar case that went to the Supreme Court in April and pertained to voting deadlines for Wisconsin's primary election.

This week, the Supreme Court ruled with Republicans, reinstating South Carolina's witness requirement for mail-in ballots. The decisions follows a number of similar victories at the state levels in Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire and Ohio.