Clerks debunk the Dodge County sheriff's claim of 'zero' ballot drop boxes

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled that they are legal, but ballot drop boxes are still a contentious topic in the state.

This week, the Dodge County Sheriff had to walk back misinformation he shared while on stage at a Donald Trump rally in Juneau .

Sheriff Dale Schmidt told the crowd "zero" drop boxes are being used in his county in the November election. Our Lighthouse team found that is not true.

Andrea Albers talked to clerks across Dodge County to ask if they plan to use drop boxes and how they're monitored.

"We are cemented into the ground," said Anastasia Gonstead, as she thumped a shiny metal box in the Mayville City Hall parking lot. "I mean, you can bang around on this bad boy. It's not going anywhere."

Standing in front of the city's absentee ballot drop box, TMJ4 showed Gonstead, the Mayville city clerk, a video of what Sheriff Dale Schmidt said earlier this week at a Donald Trump rally.

"I have something very important I think you're going to want to hear," said the sheriff as he addressed the crowd in Juneau. "In Dodge County, in this 2024 election, there are zero dropboxes."

Watch: Clerks debunk the Dodge County sheriff's claim of 'zero' ballot drop boxes

Clerks debunk the Dodge County sheriff's claim of 'zero' ballot drop boxes for voters

"Well, they are being used," reacted Gonstead, who continued, by saying "I can only speak for my municipality."

TMJ4 talked to clerks in all nine cities in Dodge County. A majority said yes, they are using drop boxes to collect absentee ballots.

The city clerk in Horicon has not yet responded to TMJ4's inquiry about the use of drop boxes for absentee ballots.

The three drop boxes at Hartford City Hall are under lock and key and video surveillance. City Clerk Shanna Kreilkamp says she's confident in the security of the drop boxes and it's why she decided to make them available to absentee voters.

In July, the Wisconsin Supreme Court legalized drop boxes as a way to return ballots giving clerks the discretion to use them, if they choose.

However, Mayville's clerk says the high court did not give specific guidance on how to secure drop boxes. "I worked with our police department who were kind enough to put their security cameras on it for me, those are recorded," added Gonstead. "I'm also keeping a log of all absentees returned via the drop box. Your municipal clerks take this very, very seriously this is what we do for a living."

TMJ4 reached out to Sheriff Schmidt for an interview. In an email, he said
he had zero availability today and was booked solid. But the Dodge County Sheriff's Office Facebook Page did post a correction , acknowledging that the sheriff misspoke at Sunday's rally. The post went on to encourage any clerk who is using drop boxes to make sure they are secure.

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