Wisconsin appeals court won’t block ballot spoiling ban

By SCOTT BAUER
Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin appeals court is refusing to block a lower court’s ruling banning the practice known as ballot spoiling, which allows voters who already submitted an absentee ballot to void it and vote again. The state appeals court on Thursday decided against hearing an appeal of a Waukesha County circuit court judge’s ruling this month in favor of a conservative group founded by prominent Republicans. The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission scheduled an emergency meeting for Friday to react to the ruling, which comes less than two weeks before the Nov. 8 election. Wisconsin voters have submitted more than 419,000 absentee ballots so far.