Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., demanded a right away investigation Tuesday after metropolis of Madison officials stated 2,215 duplicate ballots had been despatched out throughout 10 wards in error.
Madison officers stated the duplicate ballots have an identical bar codes and so cannot be counted twice.
“The Metropolis of Madison clerk stated the duplicate absentee ballots have been despatched to 1 ward yesterday,” Tiffany wrote on X. “Now, they are saying it’s 10. There must be an impartial investigation now, not after the election.”
Tiffany’s workplace famous how the Madison clerk’s workplace initially stated duplicate ballots have been despatched to only one ward — however later got here out saying the double ups span throughout all 10 “so their story modified.”
“This may’t simply be swept below the rug,” Tiffany stated in an announcement to Fox Information Digital. “The folks liable for this must be held accountable.”
President Biden received Wisconsin, a key battleground state, by fewer than 21,000 votes in 2020.
Deputy Clerk of the Metropolis of Madison Jim Verbick cited how “there was a human error that occurred,” impacting voters who had the identical fashion or listed the identical workplaces on their ballots, WKOW reported.
Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Name by way of Getty Photographs)
In a letter addressed to the Metropolis of Madison Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl, Tiffany stated he was “demanding solutions and transparency” on what occurred, citing what he categorized as “the historical past of controversial and legally doubtful election practices carried out by Madison officials prior to now.”
“Voters deserve clear solutions concerning the total scope of this blunder, how the town plans to revive public confidence in its skill to precisely administer the election, and assurances that these accountable are held accountable,” Tiffany wrote within the letter obtained by Fox Information Digital.
Madison, the state capital, is taken into account a Democratic stronghold.
“A mistake was made, the Clerk’s Workplace moved swiftly to rectify the error and reassure voters, however there may be NO chance of a replica absentee poll being counted,” metropolis spokesperson Dylan Brogan instructed Fox Information Digital.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks throughout a marketing campaign occasion in Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday. (Alex Wroblewski/Bloomberg by way of Getty Photographs)
The clerk’s workplace described what occurred as a “knowledge processing error,” explaining that the duplicate ballots have an identical bar codes, so even when a voter submitted two absentee ballots, just one could possibly be counted as a result of the voting system doesn’t settle for the identical bar code twice.
Additionally, as soon as the poll is scanned, the voter is marked within the ballot e book as having submitted an absentee poll. That’s one other safeguard in opposition to the voter submitting a second poll, the clerk’s workplace stated.
Brogan stated the error occurred when two an identical information have been merged, ensuing within the creation of a listing with double the names and double the addresses. As much as 2,000 duplicate ballots in a single ward have been mailed late final week earlier than the error was caught and corrected. The clerk’s workplace has been contacting voters individually to inform them of the error and cautioning them to submit just one poll, Brogan stated.
“Regardless of duplicate ballots being despatched out, we are going to solely settle for one poll from each voter, and after we get them again we are going to be sure that we solely have one poll,” Verbick stated.
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“About 3,000 voters all use the identical poll fashion, and we needed to separate it into two totally different information to cowl that vary based mostly on the limitation of the information that we will pull out of the registration system,” Verbick instructed WKOW. “We tried to mix the 2, and as a substitute, one among them received copied as a substitute of mixed.”
Former President Trump gestures at a marketing campaign occasion in Mosinee, Wisconsin, on Sept. 7. (Scott Olson/Getty Photographs)
“I’d simply inform the voters you can destroy one of many ballots,” Verbick stated. “Please don’t ship in each ballots, just one vote, one poll, and the opposite could be destroyed.”
When requested about Tiffany’s letter, Verbick instructed WKOW, “I’d simply say that [the clerk’s office] may be very clear about something we do with elections, and I’d simply depart it at that.”
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He added that no third get together could be investigating the matter presently.
Brogan instructed The Related Press that Witzel-Behl was within the means of responding to Tiffany’s letter and “completely answering all of those questions.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s Tom Tiffany, or who it’s, we would like everybody to know what occurred,” Brogan stated.
As of Monday, Madison had despatched 27,421 absentee ballots and none had been returned, in line with the state elections fee. Brogan stated not one of the duplicate ballots had been returned since then.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
