An investigation has been launched in Wisconsin’s capital, Madison, after nearly 200 absentee ballots were found to have gone uncounted after the November 5 election. The Wisconsin Elections Commission is looking into whether City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl failed to comply with state law or abused her discretion. The commission expressed concern over the delayed reporting of the issue by the clerk’s office, which was only brought to their attention in late December, almost a month and a half after the election results were certified.
Witzel-Behl’s office stated that the uncounted votes did not impact the outcome of any race or referendum on the ballots. However, the commission deemed the oversight as “so egregious” that an investigation is necessary to determine what happened and how similar issues can be prevented in future elections. This is not the first misstep for Witzel-Behl, as her office had previously sent out duplicate absentee ballots due to a data processing error.
The commission learned of the uncounted ballots on December 18 when Witzel-Behl’s staff informed them of discrepancies in three city wards. The clerk’s office then provided a detailed statement outlining the discovery of unprocessed ballots in various wards, as well as their plans to debrief and implement better processes. The office issued an apology to the affected voters and informed the commission of the issue before Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway was made aware on December 20. The mayor has pledged to review the city’s election procedures and cooperate with the investigation.
Wisconsin is known as a battleground state in presidential elections, with Republican Donald Trump winning the state in November. Madison and Dane County are traditionally liberal strongholds, with Vice President Kamala Harris winning 75% of the vote in the county. The investigation into the uncounted absentee ballots raises concerns about the integrity of the election process and the need for transparency and accountability to ensure that every vote is properly counted. The cooperation between the city, the clerk’s office, and the election commission will be crucial in addressing these issues and restoring trust in the electoral system.
