Wausau’s City Clerk Reports An Irregularity After Mayor Secretly Removes Ballot Box

WAUSAU, Wis. (WXCO) – Withholding the box from elections and video of the Mayor wheeling it away, the DA and WEC are now investigating.

Wausau Mayor Doug Diny’s decision to remove the absentee ballot drop box from in front of City Hall has now become more than a talker. 

Wausau City Clerk Kaitlyn Bernarde said in a news release on Wednesday that she reported the removal of the absentee drop box as an election irregularity to the Marathon County district attorney and the Wisconsin Elections Commission. 

In the statement, it says the ballot box was intended to be used. Saying that they had labeled it on Friday as “Official Drop Box,” and when city staff went to bolt it down on Monday, it was gone.

The only thing that remains now is blue tape where the drop box once stood. The box was locked and it didn’t have any ballots inside, officials said.

Whistleblowers contacted the media on Monday and the news broke by Tuesday. A picture was shared on social media of Diny dressed in a suit and hard hat, wheeling the box away.

At first, there was an outcry from some members of the public as to why they hadn’t heard from the city clerk about the box’s removal.

Since this matter has now been reported by Wausau’s city clerk and is being investigated by the district attorney and state Elections Commission, the ballot box will not be allowed for use. Voters who wish to return their absentee ballot can do so in the silver payment box outside of Wausau City Hall.

Before Tuesday’s City Council meeting, a “Ballot Box” rally was held outside of City Hall, where the box once was.

Outraged community members even spoke at the meeting.

Some attendees said enough was enough and they wanted the conspiracy theory about the box to end. Many insisted that an elected official should never have his or her hands on an election box. They called for an investigation and for this incident not to be swept under the rug.

Based on the state Supreme Court’s decision in July, city clerks have the right to choose if they want a drop box for their municipality.

Here’s Mayor Doug Diny’s response at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.