Madison Clerk Witzel-Behl Violated Policies in Uncounted Ballots Investigation

A city-led investigation found that former Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl violated multiple city policies and her contractual obligations by failing to count nearly 200 absentee ballots during the November 2024 election. The errors were attributed to process and training failures, including inadequate record-keeping and insufficient poll worker training on ballot handling. Despite several opportunities to rectify the oversight after the ballots were discovered, Witzel-Behl's office did not count them and delayed notifying the Wisconsin Elections Commission until well after results were certified. Investigators noted inconsistencies between Witzel-Behl’s account and those of other staff and found she failed to communicate promptly with relevant city and county officials. No state laws were found to have been broken, and the uncounted ballots would not have altered the outcome of any race or referendum. Witzel-Behl resigned earlier in April amid ongoing investigations, and city officials have not recommended further corrective action for other Clerk’s Office staff.