The conservative mayor removed the ballot drop box despite state law giving sole authority to do so to the city clerk.

Mayor Doug Diny of Wausau, Wis., said the City Council should have been consulted before the installation. The Wisconsin Supreme Court had said authority rested with the city clerk.

The mayor of a central Wisconsin city who ran for office on his opposition to absentee ballot drop boxes said Wednesday he did nothing wrong when he put on work gloves, donned a hard hat and used a dolly to cart away a drop box outside City Hall.