Wisconsin could be pivotal in this year's presidential race, with most polls showing former President Donald Trump as having a narrow lead there over President Joe Biden.

The swing state gained more attention last week after Wisconsin's Supreme Court decided to hear a case on mobile voting sites. 

Vans paid for with money from Zuckerberg-funded nonprofit group

At issue is the use of vans to collect absentee ballots, a phenomenon which was first seen in Racine during the 2022 midterm elections.

The Associated Press noted that the vans were paid for with a grant from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, which was in turn funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported in August of 2022 that the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty argued that use of the vans was a violation of state law and filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

After its complaint was dismissed, the organization then proceeded to file a lawsuit against Racine City Clerk Tara McMenamin.

According to the Associated Press, Racine County Circuit Judge Eugene Gasiorkiewicz overruled the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

Judge finds that law does not allow the use of vans to collect absentee ballots

"Nowhere can this Court find or has been provided any authority allowing the use of a van or vehicle as an alternate absentee voting vehicle," Gasiorkiewicz was quoted as writing in his opinion.

Lucas Vebber serves as deputy counsel at the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, and he issued a statement welcoming Gasiorkiewicz's decision.

"Wisconsin voters should know that their elections are secure, and that election administration does not favor one political party over another," Vebber declared.

However, Racine City Clerk Tara McMenamin and the Democratic National Committee subsequently asked the state Supreme Court to immediately review the case.

Chief justice says liberal colleagues are favoring Democrats

The Associated Press reported that Wisconsin's highest judicial body announced this past Friday that it would do so, despite objections from the court's conservative members.

The news service pointed out that Democrats have made up a majority of the state Supreme Court since Justice Janet Protasiewicz was elected last year.

In his dissent, conservative Chief Justice Annette Ziegler complained in his dissent that the case has yet to be fully briefed and accused his liberal colleagues of attempting to tilt the electoral playing field in favor of Democratic candidates this November.