(The Center Square) – The Wisconsin Democracy Defense Project is applauding the Wisconsin Elections Commission report that showed former Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl broke the law by leaving 193 absentee ballots uncounted during the 2024 general election.
The group includes former Wisconsin lawmakers from both sides of the aisle including former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, former Attorney General JB Van Hollen, former U.S. Rep. Scott Klug and former Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate.
The group works across several states, saying it “will work to defend the transparency, safety, security and validity of our nation’s electoral system.”
“Everyone in Wisconsin should sleep easier knowing just how thoroughly our elections are being vetted,” the group said in a statement. “This instance of 193 missing ballots, while a stain on the Madison City Clerk’s office, is an example of the vetting procedures in place working to verify every single vote cast in our elections.”
The WEC report called Witzel-Behl’s actions a “profound failure” that undermines public confidence in elections.
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway suspended Witzel-Behl from her role as clerk after the election, and she then resigned in April.
“Municipal and county clerks across the state will benefit from the findings of this report, ensuring that no further ballots can fall through the cracks,” Democracy Defense Project said. “Voters can rest assured, if this is the process in place to verify what happened to 193 absentee ballots, there is no feasible way that bad actors could thwart our election system to the tune of tens of thousands of ballots.”
