While candidates across Wisconsin spent their last weekend ahead of Tuesday’s judicial general election focusing on voters, the people who run the state’s elections were drawing attention to the electoral process.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission submitted a report to the Legislature’s rule-making committee. It provided an update on the commission’s progress in implementing recommendations following a state audit last October.
“The Elections Commission takes the Audit Bureau’s recommendations seriously,” said WEC Administrator Meagan Wolfe. “The six-member, bi-partisan commission has come together to consider and to implement recommendations that will further improve the electoral process in our state.”
WEC told lawmakers it has offered new training to local clerks, begun nightly checks of the state’s voter database to look for duplicate voters, reached out to voting machine operators about paper jams, and created a calendar for its voter roll maintenance.
In all, WEC”s update highlights eight areas of action.
Auditors in October found that there were serious issues with the November 2020 vote in Wisconsin. That report made 30 recommendations to WEC and another 18 recommendations for lawmakers.
On Sunday, the head of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, went on statewide TV to defend local clerks ahead of Tuesday’s Election Day.
Jerry Deschane was a guest on UpFront, which runs on Milwaukee TV and in several other cities across the state.
His group is out with a new public service announcement that he says humanizes the people who run Wisconsin’s elections.
“What we’re trying to point out in the PSA is these are not people working in a deep dark office behind a locked door somewhere,” Deschane said.
He added that the League is trying to “rebuild faith and confidence in elections.”
He did not mention, however, a letter from the League to local clerks that suggests they do not have to follow a ruling from the Wisconsin Supreme Court that banned the use of ballot drop boxes. That letter has caused confusion among clerks across the state.
Early voting in Wisconsin ended on Saturday. Voters who want to vote in-person will get the chance starting Tuesday morning. Polls in the state are open from 7 a.m. til 8 p.m.
This article was originally posted on Focus on clerks, election laws ahead of Tuesday’s Wisconsin Election Day
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