Republican legislators in Wisconsin have appealed a ruling that allows disabled individuals to download absentee ballots at home for November’s presidential election. The case, brought by Disability Rights Wisconsin, the League of Women Voters, and four disabled voters, argues that current voting methods discriminate against those with disabilities.

The plaintiffs initiated their lawsuit in April, seeking permission for disabled voters to download and cast absentee ballots using assistive devices and return them via email, according to AP. 

This move would facilitate a more accessible voting process for many disabled individuals who find it challenging to handle paper ballots and return them by mail or in person. Currently, Wisconsin law permits anyone to cast a paper absentee ballot but restricts electronic ballot requests to military and overseas voters.

On Tuesday, Dane County Circuit Judge Everett Mitchell granted a temporary injunction allowing clerks to send electronic ballots to voters who self-certify their inability to read or mark a paper ballot independently. However, the ballots must still be returned by mail or in person. This ruling provides temporary relief to disabled voters for the November election but does not fully meet the plaintiffs’ demands.

In response, Republican lawmakers filed an appeal on Friday, challenging the injunction in the 2nd District Court of Appeals in Waukesha. They argue that the plaintiffs are unlikely to win the lawsuit and failed to demonstrate they would suffer irreparable harm without the order. Additionally, they contend that Judge Mitchell’s ruling disrupts the electoral process just months before a crucial election.

The debate over absentee voting methods has become a contentious issue in Wisconsin, a battleground state where presidential elections have often been decided by narrow margins. Nationally, over 30 states allow certain voters to return their ballots via electronic means, including disabled voters in a dozen states.