Questions remain after the WEC examination about missing Madison

Madison, Wis. – The Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) will meet next week to discuss its investigations into voice notes that were not targeted in the elections last November. But if this meeting approaches, there are still questions.

The WEC unanimously voted in January for the investigation by Madison Clerke Maribeth Witzel-Be and its office after 193 absences of stations 56, 65 and 68 went inadequate during the parliamentary elections on November 5, 2024.

The Witzel-Behl office announced the error on December 26, 2024. The ballot papers were found in two sentences: a sealed courier bag with 68 unpublished ballot papers 65 and 68 was discovered on November 12, and two sealed carrier envelopes with 125 undetected exchange errors from distance 56 were determined on December 3..

In the examination of the WEC, several possible factors were determined that led to the error, including the lack of completed, bold-specific absence voice diagrams on the polling stations; A lack of proceedings on the election day to confirm the number of missing ballot papers with the number of counts and the lack of direct communication between Witzel-Be, the Dane County Clerk and the WEC as soon as the countless ballot papers have been discovered.

Ann Jacobs, Chairman of the WEC, said that two important snack bars from the report were.

“The first to be a kind of cascade of clenical and organizational mistakes that meant that these ballot papers were not counted. And I think that is part of the story,” she said “the second part of the story is what happened when they were discovered and the fact that the WEC was not made aware of it.”

There are still questions what exactly happened on the polling stations on election day or why the countless ballot papers from station 65 were not reported to the district writer.

“It seems to me to be and read this report that this type of responsibility that we just didn't see from the city of Madison, I think we may have to research a little more about it,” said Jacobs.

According to the report, the Commission could decide to continue the investigation or make a decision.

The results

The examination of the WEC showed that the “predominant majority” of the countless station was brought back to the employee's office between 28 and 29, 2024 and that they were entered in the WISVote system on arrival. Most were personal ballots. In addition, the “majority” of the countless ballot papers from station 65 on October 28th was returned to the employee's office.

On October 31, countless ballots were then delivered to polling stations.

The investigation showed that the chief inspectors on Stard 56 and 65 did not properly complete the checklist at the end of the night. This includes checking that the absence bags and carriers are empty. Continuation of the statement that there are no guidelines that cannot be checked.

“Here, too, it seems as if the existing guidelines in relation to the review of the review, which was completed, are extensive, but were not so designed as to be completed,” the report says.

While the Dane County Linish on November 12, which certifies the election results, an employee of an employee found the missing station 65 ballot papers. The employee Witzel-Unters said that she gave two different employees two separate instructions to notify WEC employees, but also: “This contact never occurred.” She also said her office tried to draw the DANE County Clerk or his employees aware of the person that day.

In a letter from 1025 sent to the WEC by Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell, however, he confirmed that he did not know about the countless ballots until it was reported in the media. Canvas regulations have the authority to check the election work and to make the necessary corrections for the number of votes. The memo says that the Commission's employees do not know why the district canvas was not informed about the countless ballot papers.