WEC: Madison Clerk Broke Law in Ballot Mishandling

A Wisconsin Elections Commission investigation found that nearly 200 absentee ballots were left uncounted in Madison during the November 2024 election due to significant failures by then-City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl and her staff. The WEC concluded Witzel-Behl violated multiple state election laws by not acting promptly, failing to implement proper tracking systems, and going on vacation after the election. A separate city investigation found violations of city policy but determined there was no criminal conduct. Witzel-Behl resigned during the investigations, and the City Clerk’s Office has since adopted new procedures to prevent similar issues. The uncounted ballots did not affect the outcome of any race, though the incident has raised concerns over election integrity. The commission’s findings will be reviewed at an upcoming meeting, and possible criminal charges remain under consideration by the Dane County district attorney.