Absentee Ballots Missing In Wisconsin Found Weeks After Election

Election integrity was questioned in Wisconsin after nearly 200 absentee ballots were found missing weeks after the November 2024 election. The discovery of the ballots, made during a routine post-election reconciliation, has sparked concern, though officials have assured voters that no election outcomes were impacted.

The missing absentee ballots, found by the City of Madison Clerk’s Office, were discovered in sealed carrier containers. The Clerk’s Office reported the error to the state election board on December 20, 2024. While election officials confirmed that the oversight did not affect the final election tally, the discovery underscores the potential risks to the integrity of the voting process.

The City of Madison has pledged to implement new procedures to prevent similar mistakes in the future. Absentee ballot envelope seal numbers will be verified at polling locations on Election Day to ensure all ballots are properly accounted for. This additional verification is meant to reinforce confidence in the system and eliminate any possibility of missed votes.

Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, a Democrat, expressed disappointment over the oversight and pledged to review the city’s election policies. The oversight, she said, represented a significant departure from the high standards expected by voters in the city. Her office is committed to making the necessary adjustments to ensure that no further mistakes occur.

The discovery of the missing absentee ballots follows a broader conversation about election security, which gained prominence after President Donald Trump’s allegations of widespread fraud in 2020. While no evidence of fraud was found, this recent incident has raised new questions about the reliability of the election system, especially with absentee ballots.

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