Civics: Duplicate ballots in Madison
Up to 2,000 voters in Wisconsin’s heavily Democratic capital of Madison were sent duplicate absentee ballots, but a city spokesperson said Tuesday that none had been returned, all affected voters were being contacted and there were multiple safeguards in place to ensure only one ballot is counted.
“This was a mistake,” city spokesperson Dylan Brogan said. “The clerk’s office moved to rectify it as quickly as possible.”
The error in a Democratic stronghold in the battleground state led to a demand for more information from U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Republican backer of former President Donald Trump whose northern Wisconsin district does not include Madison.
“Voters deserve clear answers regarding the full scope of this blunder, how the city plans to restore public confidence in its ability to accurately administer the election, and assurances that those responsible are held accountable,” Tiffany wrote.
The problem? Barcodes — also known as certificates — are not printed on ballots themselves. They’re printed on ballot envelopes, and poll workers are required to scan the barcodes prior to even opening the envelope. A ballot won’t be accepted if it’s not in a completed envelope, said Rachel Rodriguez, Dane County Clerk’s Office elections management specialist, meaning that there would be no way for the voter to submit the ballots separately.
A press release from the clerk’s office said the mistake happened due to a “data processing error.” Dylan Brogan, communications manager for the city of Madison, said the issue occurred when workers effectively merged two of the same data files into one document, doubling up the names and addresses there.
“1% of voters in the bluest county in a swing state got duplicate ballots”
Maribeth Witzel-Behl, City of Madison Clerk
Letter to duplicate ballot recipients.
