Wisconsin blocked from mailing absentee ballots by conservative-controlled state Supreme Court: report

There is new uncertainty over how Wisconsin will conduct its 2020 election after a new ruling by the state's conservative-controlled highest court.

"The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday temporarily suspended the mailing of absentee ballots for November's presidential election as the court weighs whether to place the Green Party presidential ticket on the ballot," the Wisconsin State Journalreported Thursday.

"The order from the conservative-dominated state Supreme Court, which comes a week before the state-imposed Sept. 17 deadline to send out requested absentee ballots to registered voters, is in a case brought by Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins. Some clerks may have already sent out ballots as they handle an unprecedented amount of requests this year due to COVID-19," the newspaper reported. "The court, in a 4-3 decision with all liberal-backed justices dissenting, said clerks should hold off on sending out any absentee ballots until it issues a further order in the case. The court also asked the Wisconsin Elections Commission to provide it information by 5 p.m. Thursday detailing whether any ballots have been mailed out to voters and if so, to whom and when."

Marc Elias, the Democratic lawyer fighting to expand ballot access due to the coronavirus pandemic, noted on Twitter that there is a rapidly-approaching federal deadline.