Civics: Madison uncounted ballots, city clerk under state investigation
The Wisconsin Elections Commission will investigate not just how Madison failed to count nearly 200 absentee ballots from the November election but specifically the actions of City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl, who notified the state about the error over a month after missing votes were discovered.
The commission voted unanimously during a special meeting Thursday to begin the bipartisan investigation into the city clerk’s office and whether “Witzel-Behl has failed to comply with the law or abused her discretion regarding the 193 uncounted absentee ballots.”
Although the Elections Commission confirmed that the voters’ choices on the 193 ballots were not enough to alter any election outcomes, commission Chair Ann Jacobs called the incident egregious and said the city’s response lacked the transparency she has experienced with other mishaps.
