Wisconsin Election Commission Might Have Violated State Law By Allowing Clerks To ‘Fix’ Ballots, Report Says

 

Wisconsin Election Commission Might Have Violated State Law By Allowing Clerks To ‘Fix’ Ballots, Report Says 

“The statute is very, very clear. If an absentee ballot does not have a witness address on it, it’s not valid.” 

A new report points out that an executive branch agency called the Wisconsin Election Commission allowed local county election clerks to “fix” ballots by filling in missing addresses for witnesses, and that might have violated a Wisconsin law requiring ballots to have a witness address to be validated. Wisconsin Statute 6.87(6d) states unequivocally, “If a certificate is missing the address of a witness, the ballot may not be counted.” 

But in August, the Wisconsin Elections Commission issued a directive stating that a clerk could fill in the address of the voter: To make sure your ballot is counted, double check the following before you return it: 

Your voter information: this section is usually completed by your clerk and includes the date of the election, the county and municipality in which you are registered, your name, the address where you are registered, city, and zip code. Voter Signature: you (or your assistant) must sign in the Certification of Voter section. Witness Signature and Address: your witness must sign and provide their full address, (street number, street name, city) in the Certification of Witness section. Make sure your ballot is in your envelope and make sure the envelope is sealed properly.