The mayor of a central Wisconsin city who ran for office on his opposition to absentee ballot drop boxes says he did nothing wrong when he removed a drop box outside City Hall.

The mayor of a central Wisconsin city who ran for office on his opposition to absentee ballot drop boxes said Wednesday he did nothing wrong when he put on work gloves, donned a hard hat and used a dolly to cart away a drop box outside City Hall.

Wausau Mayor Doug Diny posed for a picture Sunday to memorialize his removal of the city’s lone drop box that had been put outside City Hall around the same time late last week that absentee ballots were sent to voters. The city’s election clerk, Kaitlyn Bernarde, said she has reported the issue to the Marathon County district attorney a well as the state elections commission.

  • inb4_FoundTheVegan@lemmy.world
    2211·
    2 months ago

    “This is no different than the maintenance guy moving it out there,” Diny said Wednesday. “I’m a member of staff. There’s nothing nefarious going on here. I’m hoping for a good result.”

    But you’re not the fucking maintenance guy, you’re a candidate moving voting equipment for a goddamn photoshoot. The only possible good result is your defeat.

  • AA5B@lemmy.world
    185·
    2 months ago

    Seems like he recorded his own evidence about election interference. Now the question is whether other officials are too far up his ass for charges

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1261·
    2 months ago

    Tldr:

    Mayor is a Trumper against these boxes.

    As soon as it was sat outside and before it could be fastened to the ground and unlocked, the mayor stole it and put it inside because “someone else might have stolen it”…

    And is now refusing to let it be moved back and secured to the ground, because that ruins his excuse for stealing it

    • FuglyDuck@lemmy.worldEnglish
      902·
      2 months ago

      I vote he get charged with the appropriate crime of stealing ballots and the drop box.

        • FuglyDuck@lemmy.worldEnglish
          572·
          2 months ago

          He couldn’t know that.

          This is at least election interference. And attempted ballot theft.

          Also interference in government processes.

          • the_tab_key@lemmy.world
            11·
            2 months ago

            The article implies that he did this stunt right after the box was placed, so he was probably waiting for it and would know that it was empty.

            Regardless, I agree that at a minimum this is an election interface but I doubt they could make a solid case for ballot theft.

          • Fedizen@lemmy.world
            4·
            2 months ago

            on the photo op photo in one of the articles, it showed a message posted on the box thst said the box was not in service or something. It appeared to have a locked cover.

  • NoForwardslashS@sopuli.xyz
    109·
    2 months ago

    “This is no different than the maintenance guy moving it out there,”

    Well then, I expect the mayor to get the same punishment as the maintenence guy would have if he chose to intentionally steal the box instead of delivering it.

  • paddirn@lemmy.worldEnglish
    80·
    2 months ago

    These people are enemies of democracy and this kind of behavior shouldn’t be tolerated. If you’re trying to disrupt the voting process, you should be arrested and banned from any political office. Protesting policies you don’t like is one thing, but it should never get to the point where you’re preventing other people from casting their vote.

  • garretble@lemmy.worldEnglish
    21·
    2 months ago

    I’m fortunate that I have the means and ability to go to my polling place with ease, though I’d prefer to vote with an absentee ballot because that’s easy.

    But this ratfuckery stuff like this is why I’m 100% going to vote in person.

    • IamSparticles@lemmy.zipEnglish
      4·
      2 months ago

      I love my state. We have been 100% mail-in ballots since 2011. There are multiple drop boxes in every district. Same day voter registration. You can even register online.