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FACT BRIEF

Did US House Speaker Mike Johnson say Wisconsin ballots cast in drop boxes in the 2020 election should not be counted?

By Tom Kertscher
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YES

In December 2020, U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, filed a U.S. Supreme Court brief supporting a lawsuit in a failed effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Johnson was elected House speaker by fellow Republicans Oct. 25, 2023.

The lawsuit, rejected by the court, sought to reverse Joe Biden’s win over Donald Trump by invalidating results in Wisconsin, Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Johnson’s brief was filed with 125 other congressional members, including Wisconsin Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany. Johnson argued it was illegal under Wisconsin law to use unmanned drop boxes to collect absentee ballots.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to increased use of drop boxes nationally in 2020.

Their use did not lead to any cases of fraud, vandalism or theft that could have affected the 2020 result, The Associated Press reported.

In 2022, the state Supreme Court declared drop boxes illegal, ruling absentee ballots must be delivered personally by voters.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
US Supreme Court Motion for Leave to File Brief Amicus Curiae and Brief Amicus Curiae of U.S. Representative Mike Johnson
KCRA New US House speaker tried to help overturn the 2020 election, raising concerns about the next one
Newsweek Is Mike Johnson an Election Denier? Voting Record Explored
AP News Mike Johnson, a staunch Louisiana conservative, is elected House speaker as GOP moves past chaos
KCRA New US House speaker tried to help overturn the 2020 election, raising concerns about the next one
AP News No major problems with ballot drop boxes in 2020, AP finds
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.