As Senate Republicans push aggressive new regulations that would limit drop box usage — including a controversial requirement that they be locked a day before the polls close — state data provided to Bridge Michigan shows how ubiquitous they became last year amid a rapid expansion in absentee voting. Bracing for a surge of absentee ballots, clerks around the state rushed to install drop boxes that gave voters a new option to ensure delivery of their ballot, especially those wary of mailing them given postal service delays. Collectively, Michigan communities offered voters more than 1,125 drop boxes, a rapid expansion from prior elections, according to newly obtained data reported to the Secretary of State ahead of last year’s presidential election.