Appeals court allows extension of Wisconsin's absentee ballot deadlines
MADISON - An appeals court agreed Tuesday to give Wisconsin voters more time to return their absentee ballots in the Nov. 3 presidential election, finding Republicans didn't have the authority to challenge them.
The unanimous ruling from a three-judge panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago means absentee ballots that arrive in municipal clerks' offices after Election Day can be counted as long as they are postmarked by then.
The decision — issued by three judges nominated by Republican presidents — is a victory for Democrats who asked to loosen election rules during the coronavirus pandemic and a setback for Republicans who tried to prevent any changes to them.
The court ruled on technical grounds, finding that Republicans didn't have the authority to appeal a decision issued last week by U.S. District Judge William Conley. The appeals judges did not weigh in on the substance of Conley's ruling.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/09/29/appeals-court-allows-extension-wisconsin-absentee-ballot-deadlines/3581401001/
