MADISON, WI – The Government Accountability Board issued the following statement by Director and General Counsel Kevin Kennedy regarding news media reports about how the Board will handle potentially fictitious names on recall petitions:

Comments made at our Board meeting Tuesday by elections specialists have been taken out of context.  They were answering questions about one aspect of the petition verification process.  Wisconsin’s recall petition process is designed with multiple checks and balances provided by the non-partisan G.A.B., as well as the competing partisan interests of the recall committee and the incumbent officeholder.  These competing interests ensure that ineligible signers, duplicate signatures and fake names get weeded out.  Focusing on any one aspect of the process in isolation misses the forest for a few trees.

The recall process starts at the grassroots level with petition circulators. They personally obtain each signature on the page and are responsible for striking any signature that does not match the name given to them by the person signing the petition.  These circulators sign each petition page stating that they understand that falsifying the certification is a punishable offense under state law, which is a felony.

The Board understands that the recall committees are doing their own quality control prior to filing petitions in January, involving hand-entering names from each petition page into a database that will allow them to identify duplicate signatures and fake names.  It is in the recall committees’ interests to do this to build their own mailing lists, as well as to help ensure that the petitions they file with the G.A.B. will stand up to the scrutiny of challenges.

Wisconsin law requires the G.A.B. to presume that petition signatures are valid, which means that the staff cannot automatically strike names that might appear to be fake.  That level of review would require a change in law as well as much greater resources than are available or practical.  However, the G.A.B. staff and temporary workers reviewing the petitions will be flagging apparently fictitious names for review by higher-level staff.

At the same time G.A.B. is conducting its review, the incumbent officeholders’ committees will be reviewing copies of the petitions as part of the challenge process.  If and when the incumbents’ committees submit challenges to individual signatures, the G.A.B. staff must evaluate each signature and the documentation provided by the challenger, and may use outside sources such as voter registration lists and telephone directories to determine the validity of signatures.  The Government Accountability Board members will then vote on all the challenges at a public meeting to determine whether the petition has a sufficient number of signatures to trigger a recall election.  Additionally, both the petitioner and the incumbent officeholder have the ability to appeal the Board’s decision to the circuit court.

The right of Wisconsin residents to recall elected officials is guaranteed in the Wisconsin Constitution, and the laws of this state spell out the process by which that can happen.  These laws can seem complicated.  The process for any recall petition review will be consistent with the rules that were in place for both parties in the 2011 recall elections.  In reviewing approximately 215,000 signatures as part of the 2011 recalls, only a handful of signatures were successfully challenged on the basis that the name was fictitious or of a deceased individual. 

MADISON, WI – At noon on Tuesday, January 3, 2012, a committee comprised of Republican and Democratic Party representatives will meet in the Governor’s Conference Room to determine which candidates will appear on the ballot for Wisconsin’s Presidential Preference Primary.

Under Wisconsin law, preparation of the ballot for the presidential primary begins with the convening of a state nominating committee.  The committee is charged with the responsibility to place on the ballot the names of all candidates whose candidacy is generally advocated or recognized in the national news media.  The committee has the sole discretion to determine which candidates meet the statutory criteria and may also place the names of other candidates on the ballot.

The nominating committee consists of representatives of each political party whose candidates for governor in 2010 received at least 10% of the total votes cast for that office.  In 2012 the nominating committee will include the chairpersons and one national committeeman and one national committeewoman of the Republican and Democratic Parties, the President and Minority Leader of the State Senate, and the Speaker and Minority Leader of the State Assembly, or the designees of these officials.  The nominating committee will select one additional member to serve as the committee’s chairperson.

In addition to names submitted by the party representatives, the Government Accountability Board will provide the nominating committee with a list of candidates for consideration who have contacted the agency or who have registered with the Federal Election Commission.  Following the committee’s certification of the slate of candidates, the Board will notify each nominee that they will be placed on the ballot unless the nominee files a disclaimer stating that they do not intend to become a candidate for President at the 2012 general election.

Under recently enacted legislation, Wisconsin’s Presidential Preference Primary was moved from the third Tuesday in February to the first Tuesday in April, to coincide with the spring nonpartisan election.  The date of the spring election and presidential primary will be April 3, 2012.  As part of the same legislation, the date of the nominating committee meeting was changed from the second Tuesday in December to the first Tuesday in January.

The county spreadsheet contains data from all 72 counties.  Of the 1,850 municipalities, 143 did not respond by the time the report was finalized on Friday afternoon, January 6. 

Madison, WI – The Wisconsin Department of Justice today filed a motion in Dane County Circuit Court seeking an extension of the time the Government Accountability Board has to review the petitions.

The Board has asked for at least 60 days to complete its petition review, with the possibility of additional time if needed.  Judge Richard Niess has scheduled a hearing for 9 a.m. Wednesday.  A copy of the motion and supporting documents is attached.

Also Friday, the Board posted online more than 18,000 pages of recall petitions filed against the four incumbent State Senators. Click the link on the homepage at http://gab.wi.gov.

G.A.B. workers are continuing the task of scanning more than 150,000 recall petition pages for the Governor and 140,000 pages for the Lt. Governor.  Crews will be working Saturday, and hope to complete both the Governor and Lt. Governor’s petitions next week.  After the petition pages have been scanned, those scans must be verified for correctness and completeness before they can be released to the incumbents and the public.

Recall petition processing is happening at an undisclosed state facility in Madison. For security reasons, the location of the processing center is not being released until all the petition pages have been scanned.  There will be no general public access to the site, though limited media tours will be available after the location is announced.

A live webcam has been streaming video of center activities for the public to watch the process.  A link to the webcam is on the homepage of the agency website: http://gab.wi.gov.

Updates on the petition review process are being posted to the Recall Petition Processing Blog: http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/recall/blog.

Madison, WI – The Government Accountability Board today completed delivery of all digital copies of recall petitions to Governor Walker’s committee for their review.

In total, G.A.B. staff scanned more than 152,300 petition pages for the Governor’s recall, of which approximately 71,000 were delivered earlier this week. The Board has not yet estimated the number of signatures on the petitions, as the signature review process is just beginning.

The G.A.B. is currently verifying the completeness and accuracy of scanned petition pages for Lt. Governor Kleefisch, and expects to complete that work sometime next week.

On Monday, copies of the Governor’s recall petitions will be posted online at http://gab.wi.gov for public viewing. Click the link “Recall Petitions Online” on the homepage.  Since the four Senate recall petitions went online last week, the website has had more than 16,000 unique visitors and more than 410,000 page views. In Wisconsin, recall petitions are public records.

Earlier this week, Judge Richard Niess granted the Board’s request for a 30-day extension to the 31-day statutory deadline for completing its review of the petitions, giving the Board a deadline of March 19.  Judge Niess also granted the four Senate incumbents a total of 20 days and the Governor and Lt. Governor a total of 30 days in which to file petition challenges.  The clock for challenges starts the day after the incumbent receives copies of his or her petitions.
 
G.A.B. workers are now reviewing petition signatures for the four Senate recall petitions and the Governor’s recall petitions.  Crews will be working from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the week and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

Recall petition processing is happening at an undisclosed state facility in Madison. For security reasons, the location of the processing center is not being released until all the scanned petition pages have been verified for completeness and accuracy. 

Madison, WI – The Government Accountability Board today released digital copies of recall petitions for Lt. Governor Kleefisch.

In total, G.A.B. staff scanned 140,123 petition pages for the Lt. Governor’s recall, all of which were given to the Lt. Governor’s representative Friday, as well as released on the G.A.B.’s website. The Board has not yet estimated the number of signatures on the petitions, as the signature review process is just beginning.

The petitions are being released under Wisconsin’s Public Records Law, as well as a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, Doe v. Reed, involving the release of referendum petitions in Washington State.  Unlike an elector’s vote, which is private and confidential, the signing of recall petition is a public process. The PDF copies released by the Board are not computer-searchable.

“The electoral process is the means our society has chosen to select leaders, establish public policy and hold public officials accountable without resort to intimidation or violence,” said Kevin Kennedy, director and general counsel of the G.A.B.  “While individuals with an interest in vetting these petitions have every right to do so, we expect that they will continue to do so in a respectful, lawful manner.  All Wisconsin residents ought to agree that we can ensure the rights of individuals to participate in the political process without endangering their safety or giving up their right to personal security.”

Court of Appeals Ruling

On Friday, the District IV Court of Appeals issued a decision in the case Friends of Scott Walker and Stephan Thompson v. Michael Brennan, et al., regarding the G.A.B.’s responsibilities for finding and eliminating duplicate signatures on recall petitions.

We do not have any comment on the court order at this time.  The Board will discuss the decision at its meeting Tuesday in closed session.
 

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Madison, WI – The Government Accountability Board on Wednesday received an extension to March 30 to complete its review of all the recall petitions, setting the stage for the Board to order recall elections for May 8 and June 5, 2012.

Dane County Circuit Court Judge Richard Niess approved a stipulation agreement between the G.A.B., the recall petitioners and the incumbents to extend the original deadline of March 19. Judge Niess said the G.A.B. showed “ample” good cause for its request.

“We are pleased that all the parties and the judge were able to agree on a reasonable extension that will allow the Board’s staff to complete its careful examination of the recall petitions for the Governor and Lt. Governor, which includes finding and eliminating duplicate signatures,” said Kevin J. Kennedy, director and general counsel of the G.A.B. “This extension also allows us to avoid having to hold a recall election the day after Memorial Day.”

On Monday, the G.A.B. voted to seek an extension from the current deadline of March 19 to March 30. By state statute, the recall election must be held “on the Tuesday of the 6th week commencing after the date” the Board finds a recall petition to be sufficient and orders the election. Wis. Stat. s. 9.10(3)(b). Had the Board been required to order recall elections by the March 19 deadline, an election would be called for May 1, and if that became a primary election, the general election date would have been May 29, the day after Memorial Day.

The Board has scheduled a special meeting for 9 a.m. Friday, March 30, in Room 412E of the State Capitol to consider the recall petitions for the Governor and Lt. Governor. At that meeting, the Board anticipates ordering all recall elections for May 8, and if that becomes a primary election, the general election date would be June 5.

“This scenario allows all the recall elections to be consolidated on two dates, saving taxpayers additional costs had the elections been held on different schedules,” Kennedy said. “If an incumbent has only one challenger, that election would take place May 8.”

Based on a survey of county and municipal clerks, the G.A.B. estimated the cost of a single recall election to be approximately $9 million, which includes approximately $840,000 in one-time G.A.B. costs. A second election is estimated to cost $8.1 million. Were State Senate recall elections to be held on a separate schedule, each of the four would have cost $1 million.

Under state law, the incumbent officeholder’s name is automatically on the ballot unless he or she resigns within 10 days of the election being ordered. Under this schedule, candidates in the recall election will have from March 30 until 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 10 to circulate and file nomination petitions and declaration of candidacy papers with the G.A.B. State Senate candidates need a minimum of 400 signatures and Governor and Lt. Governor candidates need a minimum of 2,000 signatures.  A primary election will be held only for any political party and offices for which more than one candidate qualifies for the ballot.

On Monday, the Board stopped just short of ordering recall elections for State Senators Scott Fitzgerald (SD 13), Van Wanggaard (SD 21), Terry Moulton (SD 23) and Pam Galloway (SD 29). After considering the State Senator’s challenges, the Board determined after careful review that each of the four recall committees collected enough valid signatures to trigger recall elections.  Those elections will be ordered on March 30, 2012.

Kennedy said the Board’s staff continues to make good progress in its careful examination of the petitions against Governor Walker and Lt. Governor Kleefisch. The Board’s staff has completed its first and second reviews of both petitions, and is currently working on the court-ordered duplicate search in the petitions. Before the duplicate review, staff found:

To conduct the duplicate review, the names of all petition signers have been hand-entered into databases. Those names were then sorted alphabetically by last name and first initial to identify possible duplicates. This allows identification of possible duplicates for first name variations such as James and Jim, Catherine and Cathy, etc. G.A.B. staff is currently looking at each possible duplicate signature and address on the petition page to determine whether they are from the same or different individuals. Where necessary, staff consults voter registration records to distinguish between people with the same names (for example, Jr. and Sr.) who live at the same address.

Kennedy said the staff found a low rate of duplicate signatures in the four State Senate petitions, ranging from a low of 0.59 percent for the petition filed against Sen. Van Wanggaard to a high of 1.9 percent for the petition filed against Sen. Galloway.

Madison, WI – The Government Accountability Board issued the following statement today regarding news that State Senator Pam Galloway (SD 29) plans to resign her seat soon:

Senator Galloway’s impending resignation does not stop the recall process, and a recall election to fill her seat will be held without her name on the ballot.

State statutes say that:

The official against whom the recall petition is filed shall be a candidate at the recall election without nomination unless the official resigns within 10 days after the original filing of the petition. §9.10(3)(c)

Also, the former State Elections Board issued an opinion, which was reaffirmed by the G.A.B., that an official cannot short-circuit the recall process by resigning once recall petitions have been delivered to the G.A.B.

G.A.B. Director Kevin Kennedy offered his best wishes to Senator Galloway and her family as they deal with their health issues. Moving ahead with the planned election is the quickest, most efficient way to fill the seat.

On March 12, the G.A.B. determined that the recall petitions against Senator Galloway had a sufficient number of valid signatures to order a recall, though the Board stopped short of actually ordering the recall election. The Board has scheduled a special meeting for 9 a.m. Friday, March 30, in Room 412E of the State Capitol to consider the recall petitions for the Governor and Lt. Governor. At that meeting, the Board will order the Senate recall elections for May 8, and if that becomes a primary election, the general election date would be June 5.

Under this schedule, candidates in the recall election will have from March 30 until 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 10 to circulate and file nomination petitions and declaration of candidacy papers with the G.A.B. State Senate candidates need a minimum of 400 signatures. A primary election will be held only for any political party and offices for which more than one candidate qualifies for the ballot.

MADISON, WI – The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board today entered into a federal consent decree to extend deadlines and ensure that military and overseas voters’ ballots will be counted for the April 3, 2012 Presidential Preference Primary.

“The State of Wisconsin has already changed its election laws to comply with the new federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act and ensure that these voters have enough time to get their ballots back home to be counted,” said Kevin J. Kennedy, Wisconsin’s chief election official. “But because of delays in sending ballots by some local election officials, the U.S. Department of Justice sought a federal consent decree, which will be effective through the Fall 2012 elections.”

The U.S. DOJ believes that the failure to transmit absentee ballots to military and overseas voters who requested them by February 18, 2012, the 45th day before the April 3, 2012 Presidential Preference Primary Election, constitutes a violation of the MOVE Act. Rather than go to court, the U.S. DOJ and the G.A.B. have agreed to a consent decree to address the failure of a few local election officials to transmit ballots in a timely manner.

In March, the G.A.B. surveyed the state’s 1,851 municipal clerks, who are responsible for sending out absentee ballots, about how many military and overseas absentee ballot requests they had received, and when those ballots were sent. Sixty-five municipalities missed the Feb. 18 deadline, with delays ranging from two days to more than three weeks.

Under the consent decree, military and overseas voters from those 65 municipalities will have additional time for their ballots to be counted – the number of days late the ballot was sent. Also, 347 municipalities have not responded to multiple requests to complete the survey, which was due March 8, and their ballot counting deadlines will be extended if they were late in transmitting ballots to military and overseas voters.

Absentee ballots cast by military and overseas voters must still be postmarked by Election Day, April 3, 2012. The normal deadline for their return is 4 p.m. on the Friday after the election. Absentee ballots from all military and overseas voters in late-transmittal municipalities that are cast and postmarked by April 3, 2012, and received by the close of business on the date of the applicable extended receipt deadline, will be accepted and tabulated in the final presidential preference primary election results.

In 2010, the G.A.B. and the U.S. Department of Justice also agreed to a consent decree to give military and overseas voters more time to have their ballots counted because the traditional September partisan primary schedule did not allow enough time. Last year, Wisconsin lawmakers took steps to bring the state into compliance, moving the partisan primary from the second Tuesday in September to the second Tuesday in August, which give those voters 47 days to receive and return their ballots.

Under the consent decree, the state agrees to:

• Extend the deadlines for ballots from late municipalities by the number of days they were sent late.
• Take all steps necessary to contact any affected voters by email to notify them that if they have not yet received their ballots, they may choose to receive their ballots by FAX or email, instead of by postal mail.
• Establish a procedure providing which ballot shall be counted if both a mail and email ballot are returned, and notify all affected voters of these rules.
• Communicate to military and overseas voters that the deadline for returning absentee ballots has been extended by sending a news release to international publications and websites explaining the new deadline.
• Provide reports to the federal government by May 18 regarding the numbers of absentee ballots received and counted both before and after the April 3 election.
• Continue to survey local election officials about compliance with the MOVE Act prior to the remaining 2012 federal elections.

According to an independent study of states’ military and overseas absentee voting practices conducted before passage of the MOVE Act, the PEW Center on the States found that it took Wisconsin’s overseas voters only 26 days to complete our absentee process from start to finish, making Wisconsin one of the top 10 states in this category. 

“This agreement will place some additional burdens on the G.A.B., as well some of our local election partners,” said Nathaniel E. Robinson, elections division administrator.  “The vast majority of the 1,851 municipal clerks do a great job. But we have that small number of clerks who are consistently noncompliant with requests and noncompliant with the statutory requirements for reporting. We spend a great deal of staff time pleading with and cajoling them just to comply with the statutory requirements for reporting.”

More information about the settlement and Wisconsin’s compliance with the MOVE Act is available on the Board’s website: http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/voters/military-overseas.

Madison, WI – The Government Accountability Board staff today released reports on recall petitions signatures for Governor Walker and Lt. Governor Kleefisch, recommending the Board find there are a sufficient number of signatures to order recall elections at its meeting Friday.

The reports are available in the materials for Friday’s meeting, posted on the Board’s website.

Below is a summary of the staff’s findings. A more detailed breakdown of the numbers is contained in the reports.

The meeting will be held at 9 a.m. in Room 412E of the State Capitol. The meeting will be carried live on WisconsinEye.com.  If the Board adopts staff recommendations and recall elections are ordered, they would all be held May 8, and if that becomes a primary election, the general election date will be June 5. On March 12, the Board found there were sufficient valid signatures on all four State Senate recall petitions.

Under state law, the incumbent officeholder’s name is automatically on the ballot unless he or she resigns within 10 days of the election being ordered. Under this schedule, candidates in the recall election will have from Friday, March 30, until 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 10, to circulate and file nomination petitions and declaration of candidacy papers with the G.A.B. State Senate candidates need a minimum of 400 signatures and Governor and Lt. Governor candidates need a minimum of 2,000 signatures.  A primary election will be held only for any political party and offices for which more than one candidate qualifies for the ballot.
 

MADISON, WI – The deadline for candidates in the May 8 and June 5 recall elections to file nomination papers and declarations of candidacy is 5 p.m. today.

The Government Accountability Board staff is processing all the paperwork filed today with a plan to complete our review of the petitions this evening. To view a list of which candidates have filed, please visit our website: http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/2012/recall/may-8-june-5. We will be updating the website throughout the evening.

Candidates who have filed paperwork will have dates in the columns for each of the documents required to be filed. Candidates who have filed nominating petitions will be listed as having “0” valid signatures until staff has finished reviewing the petitions. A listing of “0” signatures should not be construed as the candidate having filed insufficient signatures.

The deadline for filing a Statement of Economic Interests is 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 13. After that deadline, the staff will certify the list of candidates.

Incumbents being recalled are not required to file nomination papers. Under state law, their names are automatically on the ballot unless they resigned by Monday, April 9. Only one recalled official, Senator Pam Galloway (R-29) has resigned.

The deadline for filing challenges to nominating petitions is also 4:30 p.m. Friday. If challenges are filed, the Government Accountability Board will hold a public meeting early next week to consider those challenges.
 

MADISON, WI – Six individuals identified as “protest candidates” by the Republican Party of Wisconsin and as “fake Democrats” by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin will appear on the May 8 recall ballot in the Democratic Party primaries, the Government Accountability Board decided today.

The Board voted unanimously to deny the nomination paper challenges against the candidates whom the Republican Party said it placed on the ballot to ensure all the final recall elections would be held June 5, instead of some on May 8.

The final list of candidates in the May 8 recall primary is attached. The six protest candidates are Gladys Huber (Governor), Isaac Wiex (Lt. Governor), Gary Ellerman (Senate District 13), Tamra Lyn Varebrook (Senate District 21), James Engel (Senate District 23), and James Buckley (Senate District 29).

“We are being asked … to determine whether candidates are lying,” said Board Member Timothy Vocke. “That is an impossible task for this Board or anybody else to solve. It is something strictly for the voters to do.”

“For a century, Wisconsin has had a system of open primary elections, where the people have the freedom to decide who represents the political parties in a general election, not the party leaders,” said Kevin J. Kennedy, director and general counsel of the G.A.B. “The price of that freedom is what some might consider to be occasional political mischief. No matter how politically objectionable some people may find this, it is not a legal reason to deny someone a place on the ballot. Wisconsin trusts the voters to sort out these issues at the ballot box.”

Wisconsin election laws do not require an individual to be a member of a political party to seek that party’s nomination in a primary election. The law also does not permit the Board to inquire into the motivations for an individual’s candidacy for office. If it did, a government agency would be making subjective judgments about who is a legitimate political candidate, infringing on the First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and association, Kennedy said.

The Board’s staff had recommended that the Board deny the challenges to the protest candidates because no statute prohibits an individual from submitting nomination papers and related documents without the support of the political party whose nomination is sought, or conducting a campaign for office for any political or strategic reason.

Attorney Jeremy Levinson, who filed the nomination paper challenges, also filed a complaint alleging criminal violations of Wis. Stat. §12.13, which prohibits making false statements to election officials and falsifying any information in respect to a nomination paper or declaration of candidacy.

Complaints alleging violations of Chapter 12 are required to be considered by the Board in closed session. In closed session today, the Board determined not to open an investigation. The complainants may pursue the matter with local District Attorneys, who alone have the power to prosecute alleged violations of Chapter 12. The G.A.B. does not have the authority to prosecute criminal cases.

MADISON, WI – With Wisconsin’s first-ever statewide recall primary two weeks away, there are several important things voters should know.

On Tuesday, May 8 there will be Republican and Democratic primaries for Governor, and Democratic primaries for Lt. Governor and four State Senators in Districts 13, 21, 23 and 29. A list of candidates for the primaries is attached.

“Wisconsin has gone through great political turmoil since 2011, and the recall primaries and elections are the voters’ opportunity to have their say on these issues,” said Kevin Kennedy, the state’s chief election officer. “We encourage the people to get out and vote.”

“A recall primary is like most other primary elections, with a few exceptions,” Kennedy continued. “If voters take a little time to prepare before going to the polls, they can avoid confusion and delays.”

“Early Voting” – In-person absentee voting (also known as early voting) begins today in municipal clerks’ offices during normal business hours. The period for in-person absentee voting ends Friday, May 4 at 5 p.m. or the close of business, whichever is later.

Absentee Voting by Mail – Voters may request an absentee ballot from their local municipal clerk’s office. The deadline for most voters is 5 p.m. Thursday, May 3. The deadline for military and those who are indefinitely confined due to age, infirmity, health or disability is 5 p.m. Friday, May 4. Absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, and received by 4 p.m. Friday, May 11 to be counted.

Voter Photo ID – The law is currently on hold as two lower court decisions stopping voter photo ID are being appealed. Given the normal amount of time appeals take, it is highly unlikely both injunctions would be overturned before the primary or the recall election on June 5. If that somehow happens, the G.A.B. and Wisconsin’s local election officials will be ready to implement the law.

Crossing Party Lines – Because each recall primary is a separate election event, voters may cross parties in the recall primary, but they may still only vote once per office. For example, in the Governor’s primary, you may only vote for one person, either a Republican or a Democratic candidate. There are only Democratic primaries for Lt. Governor and State Senate.

Write-in Votes – There have been rumors that the Governor could avoid a final recall election on June 5 if he won the Democratic primary by write-in votes. This is untrue. A person cannot be a candidate in two primaries for the same office. The G.A.B. has instructed clerks not to count write-in votes for anyone who is already a candidate in another primary for the same office and since the Governor is a primary candidate for the Republican Party, any write-in votes for the Governor in the Democratic Party are invalid.

2002 Senate Districts for 2012 Recalls – Under state law, State Senate recalls are held in the districts used for the past decade, not the new districts that take effect in November 2012.

Municipalities Split by Recall Senate Districts – The G.A.B. has identified 17 municipalities that are partially inside and partially outside of one or more Recall Senate Districts. In these municipalities, some voters will be able to vote in the State Senate recall elections, while others will only be eligible for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor elections. The list of municipalities is attached.

Check your registration – Elections Division Administrator Nat Robinson urged voters to use the Voter Public Access website at https://vpa.wi.gov to make sure that they are registered at their current address.  Additionally, VPA will identify the races voters are eligible to vote in, and will tell voters whether they are eligible to vote within a Senate District that has a Recall election. Voters who are unsure about whether they are eligible to vote in a State Senate recall primary or election should contact their municipal clerk’s office directly. If you have not registered to vote yet or you have a problem with your registration, contact your local municipal clerk’s office to check your options. You can register at the polling place on Election Day.

Find your polling place -- If you are a new voter, the Voter Public Access website can help you identify your polling place location or your municipal clerk’s office can also help you find it.  Many newspapers also print the locations of polling places.

Know what proof of residence to bring -- If you are already registered to vote, you will only need to state your name and address to receive a ballot, and are not required to provide any additional documentation.  After stating your name, you will need to sign the poll list. If you are registering at the polling place, make sure you have proof of residence and your Wisconsin driver’s license number.  If you do not have a Wisconsin driver’s license, you can use the number from your Wisconsin ID card, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.  Proof of residence can be established with a current lease, recent utility bill, or other official document issued by a unit of government with the voter’s name and current address on it.  A current university, college or technical institute photo ID is also acceptable if the institution has provided the polling place with a list of students who live in its housing and if the housing list includes citizenship information. 

Be prepared -- Review your ballot before Election Day by checking out a sample ballot on the Voter Public Access website: https://vpa.wi.gov.  A sample ballot will also be posted at the polling place.  Make sure you know how to use the voting equipment where you live.  Reviewing your ballot and voting equipment instructions before you get to the polls will help keep the lines moving on Election Day.  Please contact an election official if you have any questions.

Avoid the crowds – Polling places are busier in the early morning and late afternoon hours as people head to and from work.  Lunchtime is also a busier period of the day.  To cut down on your waiting time at the polling place, consider voting during non-peak hours, such as the mid-morning or mid-afternoon periods.  The polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. across Wisconsin.

Avoid bringing undue attention or risk causing a disturbance – Voters should not wear campaign paraphernalia such as campaign/candidate buttons, shirts, hats, etc. inside the polling place.  Those who wear campaign paraphernalia may be asked to cover it up or leave.

Exercise your right to vote – Most importantly, GO VOTE!  All polling places will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.  Persons in line at 8:00 p.m. will be allowed to vote. Voters with questions or problems should talk to the chief election inspector who is in charge of their polling place. If the voter is not satisfied, contact the local municipal clerk or contact the G.A.B. at 608-261-2028, or gabhelpdesk@wi.gov.  The G.A.B. will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Election Day.
 

List of Municipalities Split by Senate Recall Districts

City of Columbus (Columbia)              
City of Edgerton (Dane)                       
City of Hartford (Dodge)                     
City of Waupun (Dodge)                      
City of Menomonie (Dunn)                  
City of Altoona (Eau Claire)                
City of Eau Claire (Eau Claire)             
Town of Washington (Eau Claire)        
Village of Johnson Creek (Jefferson)
Village of Dorchester (Marathon)
Village of Edgar (Marathon)
City of Abbotsford (Marathon)
Village of Waterford (Racine)
City of Oconomowoc (Waukesha)
Town of Oconomowoc (Waukesha)
City of Marshfield (Wood and Marathon)

MADISON, WI – Absentee ballot applications paid for by the Republican Party, which many Wisconsin voters have been receiving in the mail are permissible, according to the Government Accountability Board.

The G.A.B. and municipal clerks around the state have been receiving numerous complaints about the mailers because they also contain campaign messages, said Kevin J. Kennedy, director and general counsel of the G.A.B.
The return mailer comes with the address of the voter’s local municipal clerk, to whom the request must be sent. This has led many people to wrongly assume that the clerk is responsible for the mailer, Kennedy said.

Many different political parties and interest groups have used this kind of mailer in the past in their get-out-the-vote efforts, Kennedy said. In addition to possibly implying that the municipality produced it, the problem with these kinds of mailers is that some have incorrect addresses for the clerk’s office, meaning the request is misdirected or delayed.

So far, the G.A.B. is not aware of any address problems with the most recent Republican Party mailer, but Kennedy cautioned voters to double check their municipal clerk’s address to make sure it is correct if they use the application to request an absentee ballot.  Voters who object to the political message should contact the Republican Party of Wisconsin. A directory of clerks is available here: http://gab.wi.gov/clerks/directory.

Most voters who wish to cast absentee ballots by mail must submit their written request by 5 p.m. the Thursday before the election. Voters who are military or who are indefinitely confined due to age, disability, infirmity or illness may request absentee ballots by 5 p.m. Thursday. Absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, and received by 4 p.m. Friday, May 11 in order to be counted.

Those wishing to vote early may also do so in-person at their municipal clerk’s office during normal business hours. The period for in-person absentee voting ends Friday, May 4 at 5 p.m. or the close of business, whichever is later.
 

MADISON, WI – Tens of thousands of Wisconsin residents are already taking advantage of absentee voting for the June 5 recall election, according to the Government Accountability Board.

As of today, at least 90,000 absentee ballots had been issued by Wisconsin’s local election officials who track them using the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS). A total of 68,000 absentee ballots were tracked in SVRS for the May 8 recall primary. Just over one-third of municipalities track absentee ballots in SVRS, including all the state’s large cities.

“These numbers confirm anecdotal reports we are hearing from local election officials that there is strong interest in absentee voting,” said Kevin J. Kennedy, director and general counsel of the G.A.B.

In-person absentee voting in the clerk’s office started Monday morning and runs through 5 p.m. Friday, June 1. Some clerks are offering extended hours to handle demand.

Because of the tight timelines between the May 8 primary and the June 5 recall election, some clerks may not have had the official ballots printed in time for the start of in-person absentee voting. Those clerks must provide substitute ballots, which are remade by election inspectors at the polling place. Some voters have objected to not receiving an official ballot, but Elections Division Administrator Nat Robinson said the practice is standard, and voters should be assured that these ballots will be counted.

The deadline for voters to request an absentee ballot by mail is 5 p.m. Thursday, May 31. Absentee ballot applications in English, Spanish and Hmong are available on the G.A.B. website (http://gab.wi.gov/forms/voters), as well as from municipal clerks.

Military voters and those who are indefinitely confined due to age, disability, infirmity or illness may request absentee ballots by 5 p.m. Friday, June 1. Hospitalized voters and sequestered jurors must request ballots by 5 p.m. on Election Day. All absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, and received by 4 p.m. Friday, June 8 in order to be counted.

The G.A.B. and municipal clerks around the state continue to receive complaints about absentee ballot mailers sent out by political parties and interest groups because they also contain campaign messages. The return mailer comes with the address of the voter’s local municipal clerk, to whom the request must be sent. This has led many people to wrongly assume that the clerk is responsible for the mailer, Kennedy said.

While some of these mailers are not official absentee ballot request forms, they are permissible, and clerks must honor voters’ requests for absentee ballots made using them, Kennedy said.

There have been media reports of groups providing transportation to clerks’ offices for in-person absentee voting, with some commentators claiming such voting may be fraudulent. Under state law (Wis. Stat. sec. 12.11(3)(d)) it is permissible to transport voters to the clerk’s office for absentee voting or to the polling place on Election Day for voting.

Wisconsin voters must be registered to receive a ballot. Those who are not registered must provide acceptable proof of residence to register. While the state’s photo ID law has been enjoined by the courts, other provisions in Wisconsin Act 23 remain in force, expanding the residency requirement from 10 to 28 consecutive days and ending the practice of “vouching” for people registering to vote who do not have acceptable proof of residence.
 

MADISON, WI – The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board is predicting that between 60 and 65 percent of the voting age population – or approximately 2.6 to 2.8 million people – will cast regular and absentee ballots for the Tuesday, June 5 Recall Election.

“Wisconsin has never had a statewide recall election, which makes predicting turnout difficult,” said Kevin Kennedy, director and general counsel of the G.A.B.  “We typically look at history for guidance in predicting turnout. We expect turnout for this election to be much higher than the 49.7 percent turnout in the 2010 General Election for Governor, but not as high as the 69.2 percent turnout in the 2008 General Election for President of the United States.”

Historically, the highest voter turnout in a November gubernatorial election in the last 50 years was 52.4 percent in 1962.  The highest turnout in the past decade was 50.9 percent in 2006. Wisconsin’s 2011 voting age population is 4,352,762 people.  Statistics on past voter turnout and current voter registration are available at http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/statistics.

The number of Wisconsin residents who have already requested absentee ballots or voted absentee in the clerk’s office for the recall election continues to climb, said Elections Division Administrator Nat Robinson.

As of noon today, at least 130,391 absentee ballots had been issued by Wisconsin’s local election officials who track them using the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS), compared to 113,558 by midday Friday, May 25, Robinson said. Clerk’s offices in some larger cities were open for in-person absentee voting over the Memorial Day weekend.

To give that number some context, a total of 68,000 absentee ballots were tracked in SVRS for the May 8 recall primary. Just over one-third of municipalities track absentee ballots in SVRS, including all the state’s large cities.
There were a total of 230,744 absentee ballots cast in the November 2010 General Election for Governor, and a total of 633,610 cast in the November 2008 General Election for President. These numbers include all ballots, not just those tracked in SVRS, and included an extra week of absentee voting.

As many as 75 percent of all absentee ballots are typically cast in the clerk’s office, with the remainder being delivered by mail. The percentage of voters voting via absentee ballot jumped from about 6 percent in 2000, to about 12 percent in 2004, to more than 21 percent in 2008, then dropped to 10 percent in 2010.

In-person absentee voting in the clerk’s office runs through 5 p.m. or the close of business on Friday, June 1, whichever is later. Some clerks are offering extended hours to handle demand. Voters can find their local clerk’s office address and phone number on Voter Public Access: vpa.wi.gov.

The deadline for clerks to receive a request for an absentee ballot by mail is 5 p.m. Thursday, May 31. Voters who request an absentee ballot using a flier they received in the mail should double check the clerk’s mailing address in the event of an error, Kennedy said.

Mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, and must be received by the clerk by 4 p.m. the Friday after the election. All properly-cast absentee ballots will counted, regardless of how close the election is.

MADISON, WI – More than 182,000 Wisconsin residents have already requested absentee ballots or voted absentee in the clerk’s office for the June 5 recall election, according to the Government Accountability Board.

As of noon today, at least 182,228 absentee ballots had been issued by Wisconsin’s local election officials who track them using the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS). Just over one-third of municipalities track absentee ballots in SVRS, including all the state’s large cities.

To give that number some context, a total of 68,000 absentee ballots were tracked in SVRS for the May 8 recall primary, which had an unofficial, overall turnout of 29.5 percent. On May 23, there were approximately 90,000 ballots tracked; on May 25 there were 113,558 ballots tracked; on May 29 there were 130,391 ballots tracked; and on May 31, there were 164,848 ballots tracked.

The G.A.B. will continue to provide updated absentee ballot numbers daily next week as clerks enter them into the system.

As many as 75 percent of all absentee ballots are typically cast in the clerk’s office, with the remainder being delivered by mail.

In-person absentee voting in the clerk’s office runs through 5 p.m. or the close of business on Friday, June 1, whichever is later. Some clerks are offering extended hours to handle demand. Voters can find their local clerk’s office address and phone number on Voter Public Access: vpa.wi.gov.

The deadline for most absentee voters to request ballots to be sent to them has passed. The deadline for military voters and indefinitely confined voters to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. today. Sequestered jurors and people who are hospitalized can request ballots until 5 p.m. on Election Day.

Mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, and must be received by the clerk by 4 p.m. the Friday after the election.
 

MADISON, WI – More than 206,000 Wisconsin residents have already requested absentee ballots or voted absentee in the clerk’s office for the June 5 recall election, according to the Government Accountability Board.

As of noon today, at least 206,128 absentee ballots had been issued by Wisconsin’s local election officials who track them using the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS). Just over one-third of municipalities track absentee ballots in SVRS, including all the state’s large cities.

The G.A.B. also released detailed, county-by-county numbers today, which are attached to this news release. Individual municipal numbers are not available from the G.A.B.

To give these numbers some context, a total of 68,000 absentee ballots were tracked in SVRS for the May 8 recall primary, which had an unofficial, overall turnout of 29.5 percent. On May 23, there were approximately 90,000 ballots tracked; on May 25 there were 113,558 ballots tracked; on May 29 there were 130,391 ballots tracked; on May 31, there were 164,848 ballots tracked; on June 1, there were 182,228 ballots tracked.

These numbers are likely to continue changing throughout the week as clerks enter data into the system. The G.A.B. will continue to provide updated absentee ballot numbers daily next week as clerks enter them into the system.

As many as 75 percent of all absentee ballots are typically cast in the clerk’s office, with the remainder being delivered by mail.

In-person absentee voting in the clerk’s office ended Friday, June 1.  The deadline for most absentee voters to request ballots to be sent to them has also passed. Sequestered jurors and people who are hospitalized can still request ballots until 5 p.m. on Election Day. Mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, and must be received by the clerk by 4 p.m. the Friday after the election.
 

The attached letter was distributed Friday, July 13, 2012 to Assembly Leaders who wrote to the Government Accountability Board on Wednesday, July 11, 2012.

Also attached are a news release issued July 13 by the Racine County District Attorney's Office, and the original letter from the Assembly Leaders.

As of 4:00 p.m. on Friday, February 8, 2013 all municipalities and counties completed entering the GAB-190 Election Voting and Registration Statistics Report into the Wisconsin Election Data Collection System (WEDCS) for the 2012 Presidential and General Election.

Statutory Authority to Request Information

“Information from County and Municipal Clerks.”  The board may request information from county and municipal clerks relating to election administration, performance of electronic voting systems and voting machines, and use of paper ballots in elections. Wis. Stat. § 5.05(14). 

Local election officials are required to provide information requested under § 5.05 (14) to the Board upon request. Wis. Stats. §7.10(10), 7.15 (13)

MADISON, WI – Wisconsin’s military and overseas voters whose absentee ballots were delayed by local election officials will have additional time for those ballots to be counted in the April 3, 2012 Spring Election and Presidential Preference Primary under terms of a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Official absentee ballots for approximately 227 military and overseas voters were sent after the February 18 deadline, and those voters will receive extensions equal to the number of days the ballots were late, ranging from two days to three weeks. Also, 347 municipalities failed to respond to an official survey about absentee ballots. Their ballot counting deadlines will be extended if they were late in transmitting ballots to military and overseas voters.

All military and overseas ballots that are voted and postmarked on or before Election Day, and which have been properly signed and witnessed, will be counted if they are received by the local clerk’s office by new deadlines. The normal deadline for their return is 4 p.m. on the Friday after the election.

To request an absentee ballot, military and overseas electors should contact their local municipal clerk’s office.  A directory of clerk’s offices is available on the Government Accountability Board’s website: http://gab.wi.gov/clerks/directory.  Military and overseas voters may also use the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) form to submit their absentee ballot request.  The FPCA is available on the Board’s website (http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/voters/military-overseas) as well as the website of the Federal Voting Assistance Program (http://www.fvap.gov).

Military and overseas voters may determine their registration status, view a sample ballot and track the status of their absentee ballot through the Board’s Voter Public Access website: https://vpa.wi.gov/.

In the April 3, 2012 Presidential Preference Primary, Wisconsin’s Republican and Democratic party nominees for President of the United States will be chosen. There are no other statewide elections on the ballot. Voters in some counties may have elections for judicial office, as well as for nonpartisan county, municipal and school board offices and referenda.

The names of all federal and state candidates appearing on the ballot in the April 3 Spring Election and Presidential Preference Primary are available on the Board’s website: http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/2012/spring.

Military and overseas electors with questions about the absentee voting process may contact the Board by calling 608-261-2028, or 1-866-VOTE-WIS (toll-free), or by e-mailing gab@wi.gov.

More information about military and overseas voting is available on the Board’s website: http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/voters/military-overseas.

Under terms of a consent decree, approved March 23, 2012, by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, the state of Wisconsin agreed to take certain steps to ensure military and overseas voters are able to fully participate in the April 3 election.  Under the consent decree, the state agreed to:

•    Extend the deadlines for ballots from late municipalities by the number of days the ballots were sent late.
•    Take all steps necessary to contact any affected voters by email to notify them that if they have not yet received their ballots, they may choose to receive their ballots by FAX or email, instead of by postal mail.
•    Establish a procedure providing which ballot shall be counted if both a mail and email ballot are returned, and notify all affected voters of these rules.
•    Communicate to military and overseas voters that the deadline for returning absentee ballots has been extended by sending a news release to international publications and websites explaining the new deadline.
•    Provide reports to the federal government by May 18 regarding the numbers of absentee ballots received and counted both before and after the April 3 election.
•    Continue to survey local election officials about compliance with the MOVE Act prior to the remaining 2012 federal elections.

A complete copy of the consent decree will be available on the Board’s website:
http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/voters/military-overseas/move.

The letter attached below was sent August 10, 2012, to organizations that encourage or sponsor election observers in Wisconsin.

The information in the letter is not a new directive, but simply a restatement of Board rules and policies intended to remind observers about acceptable conduct at polling places.

MADISON, WI – Several Government Accountability Board staff members spent Tuesday in Racine County observing polling places during the Partisan Primary.

The five-member group, headed by G.A.B. Director Kevin J. Kennedy, split up and observed  polling places in the city of Racine, but also visited polling places in Burlington, Caledonia, Mount Pleasant, Rochester and Sturtevant.

“Our goal was to observe polling places to see whether there are additional things the Board can do in terms of training for local election officials across Wisconsin in preparation for the November General Election,” Kennedy said. “With the exception of Rochester, turnout was light, and the election was generally uneventful.”

Last week, the G.A.B. also sent a team of three staff members to the City of Racine to observe and answer questions at poll worker training sessions. “From our observations Tuesday, the Racine City Clerk took our input into consideration,” Kennedy said. “Our staff will continue to work with Racine in the coming weeks on additional recommendations and preparations for the November election.”

A total of five G.A.B. staff members were in Racine County Tuesday. The visits to Racine County are part of the G.A.B.’s “Back to Basics” initiative for the November General Election, which includes targeted assistance for municipalities that may need or want help from the agency to ensure a problem-free Election Day.

Madison, WI – People registering to vote can now show either paper or electronic documents to prove Wisconsin residency, the Government Accountability Board has ruled.

The Board voted unanimously at its meeting Tuesday to allow people to show electronic documents displayed on electronic devices such as smart phones, tablets and laptops to prove they meet Wisconsin residency requirements when registering to vote.

“Encouraged by both Federal and State government, many people today have gone paperless in their lives, including banking, utilities and taxes,” said Kevin J. Kennedy, director and general counsel of the G.A.B. “The Board’s decision recognizes that documents from these secure electronic transactions are just as valid on a screen as they are on a piece of paper.”

When people register on Election Day, they must provide an identifying document to prove residency before they can vote. The same is true when they register in their municipal clerk’s office less than 20 days before an election. Most people use a driver license or state ID card if their address is current. People who have moved can use many other documents for proof of residence, including a property tax bill, current lease, bank statement, utility bill or other government document that includes their full name and current address.

Previously, the staff of the Government Accountability Board interpreted the state law to require that a proof of residence document must be a paper record. The Board was asked to consider accepting electronic documents as proof of residence because many voters now receive most bills and correspondence electronically and may not have ready access to a printer.

At the meeting Tuesday, clerks told the Board that some of them have been accepting electronic documents because they do not want to prevent eligible Wisconsin residents from voting simply because they do not have access to a printer. Clerks said that at some polling places, volunteers bring in laptop computers and printers to allow registering voters to print a document.  One clerk asked the Board to act immediately so clerks have enough time to include the electronic proof of residence option in their poll worker trainings for the November 6, 2012 General Election.

Kennedy said the G.A.B. staff recognized the popularity and efficiency of using of electronic documents as proof of residence, but had recommended against it for the November General Election because the agency would prefer to first obtain feedback from local clerks about the proposed change, and it might be too much of a change for Wisconsin’s overburdened local election officials to deal with so close to the election.

Responding to comments questioning whether electronic documents could be faked, Kennedy said that a faked document can just as easily be printed.

“Our biggest concern is that local election officials require proper documentation when people register to vote,” Kennedy said. “We have not received any reports about people using faked documents to register, but we have received some reports that unacceptable documents such as business receipts have been accepted for proof of residence. We would much rather have someone show a bank statement on a smart phone than try to use an oil change receipt on paper.”

After hearing testimony Tuesday from clerks, attorneys and students, the Board of former Wisconsin judges discussed what it means to “provide an identifying document that establishes proof of residence,” as required by state law (Wis. Stat. Sec. 6.34(2)). State law does not require or permit the clerk to keep or make a copy of the document.

“Providing means showing,” Judge Thomas Cane said at the meeting. “The only question is whether what you show is an identifying document. I don’t see the difference.”

The Board did clarify in its decision that municipalities are not required to provide computers or internet access so people can show electronic documents.

Kennedy emphasized that proof of residence to register to vote is different than proof of identification (photo ID) to receive a ballot. “The voter photo ID law is on hold due to court orders,” Kennedy said. “Currently, voters are not required to present a photo ID to vote, but individuals registering at polling places must present an identifying document establishing their voting residence.”

Elections Division Administrator Nat Robinson said G.A.B. staff will be communicating with municipal clerks around the state to let them know about the new policy. “We will be developing detailed educational materials for clerks and poll workers as part of our Back to Basics initiative,” Robinson said.
 

MADISON, WI – The Government Accountability Board today released local election cost data for elections held in April, May and June 2012.

At the request of the Legislature, the G.A.B. began last August to collect election cost data from Wisconsin’s 72 counties and 1,851 municipalities. Most election costs are borne by local taxpayers.

• The April 3, 2012 Spring Election and Presidential Preference Primary cost local taxpayers $7.6 million, including $2.2 million in poll worker wages and $1.9 million in staff salaries. Ballots cost $957,000 and election equipment programming cost $771,000.
• The May 8, 2012 Recall Primary cost local taxpayers $6.3 million, including $2.3 million in poll worker wages and $1.7 million in staff salaries. Ballots cost $728,000 and programming cost $617,000.
• The June 5, 2012 Recall Election cost local taxpayers nearly $7.2 million, including $2.5 million in poll worker wages and $1.9 million in staff salaries. Ballots cost $984,000 and programming cost $596,000.

For these three elections, clerks reported investing more than $1 million in for training poll workers: $655,000 for April, $161,000 for May and $250,000 for June.

“Instead of conducting two primaries and two elections this year, Wisconsin election officials will be conducting six elections, which added approximately $13.5 million in unbudgeted costs,” said Kevin Kennedy, director and general counsel of the G.A.B. “These unplanned elections also put significant stress on Wisconsin’s clerks, who have many other duties beyond elections.”

Elections Division Administrator Nat Robinson cautioned that the cost data has not been audited, and said clerks may have used different methods in arriving at their numbers. Anyone using the data should understand that: 

• These figures should not be construed as a complete accounting of audited election-related expenses. The G.A.B. has published instructions on completing the election cost report, but clerks may interpret these instructions and report expenditures differently. In addition, cost data may be incomplete and reflect the information available when the data was reported. While initial reports are due 30 days after an election, municipal and county clerks have the ability to update their data as more specific information becomes available.
• Election cost data are provided by each municipality and county for each statewide election. G.A.B. staff asked that clerks provide these data based on actual paid invoices or the clerk’s best available information rather than estimates (i.e. unpaid invoices, accepted bids, etc.) within the required reporting period. As clerks receive updates, they may revise their reports.
• The cost reporting is part of collecting elections statistics, and is intended to provide a more complete picture of election administration in our state, including the costs of conducting elections. Collecting this data allows the G.A.B to provide detailed reports to the Legislature, the media, voters, and the general public about elections throughout the State of Wisconsin, and will assist municipalities to prepare and budget for elections.

Additionally, processing recall petitions and other preparations for the May and June recall elections by the G.A.B. actually cost the state $663,000, compared to the original $975,000 estimate prepared in February 2012.  Hiring temporary staff to process the recall petitions was the largest single expense, at just over $212,000. Data entry services necessary to comply with a court order to search for and strike duplicate signatures and fake names cost $94,333, and identified 4,001 duplicate signatures and four fictitious names out of 931,053 signatures submitted to recall Governor Walker.

The data in this news release was reported by county and municipal clerks on Form GAB-190 - Election Voting and Registration Statistics Report, which can be found on the agency website: gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/statistics. Cost reporting on GAB-190 began with the April 3, 2012 Spring Election and Presidential Preference Primary. Cost data for the February 21, 2012 Spring Primary is not available. Recall election cost estimates prepared at the request of the Legislature are available here: gab.wi.gov/publications/other/2012-recall-expense-estimates.

Election cost data for the August 14 Partisan Primary is due from county and municipal clerks this week, and should be available to the public in several weeks.

MADISON, WI – Wisconsin voters have a new tool to help them get ready for Election Day in November: My Vote Wisconsin.

By using the new MyVote.WI.gov website, voters can make sure they are registered to vote and know where to go on November 6, said Kevin J. Kennedy, Wisconsin’s chief election official.

“Wisconsin’s new voter information portal will empower voters, reduce the workload on local election officials, and help ensure fair and transparent elections,” said Kennedy, director and general counsel of the G.A.B. “I hope voters will spend a few minutes online today to save themselves time and trouble on Election Day.”

For many Wisconsin voters, November 6 will be their first time at the polls since legislative redistricting. Many people who voted as recently as the recall elections have moved, many people are in new districts, and some people have new polling places. For these reasons, Kennedy said that for some voters, this could be a recipe for confusion on November 6.

“In less than two minutes, you can go to our new website, find your polling place location and see a sample ballot,” Kennedy said. “If you are not registered, the website has a new tool to get your registration started.”

“This new online system is secure, both for the user and for the voter registration system,” Kennedy said. “Anyone using the new online system has to meet the same requirements as people who register the old way.”

Elections Division Administrator Nat Robinson said the online tool will streamline voter registration for clerks because the system captures the applicant’s information in pending status in the Statewide Voter Registration System. “When clerks receive the printed, signed registration applications, they will no longer need to enter the data into SVRS,” Robinson said.

“The new website provides a personalized experience for voters,” said Robinson. “Voters will see information that is relevant to them, based on whether they are a regular Wisconsin voter or someone who is in the military or a U.S. citizen living permanently overseas.”

My Vote Wisconsin will allow military and permanent overseas voters to request and receive their absentee ballot and certificate securely online. Military voters receive their ballots immediately. Permanent overseas voters who are already registered receive their ballots immediately, and those who need to register receive them once they have been approved. They can then print those documents and mark and return their ballots by mail.

These new technology tools are part of the G.A.B.’s Back to Basics Initiative.

“The purpose of the initiative is to make sure clerks and poll workers are properly trained, and voters are educated about their rights and responsibilities,” Kennedy said. “Our goal is a problem-free election in November.”

“This spring, we realized that because of all the additional burdens on clerks this year with new military and overseas voting procedures, redistricting, recall elections and voter photo ID, it would be important to make sure everyone is focused on the basics going into the November election,” Kennedy said.

Robinson said Back to Basics also includes new webinars and training materials for clerk and poll workers, as well as a program called “Voter Education 101:  Rights and Responsibilities.”

Copies of the Back to Basics plan and Voter Education 101 are available as attachments below.

MADISON, WI – Wisconsin voters’ best sources of information about voter registration and absentee voting are their local clerk and MyVote.WI.gov, not mailings from political parties and independent groups, according to the Government Accountability Board.

The G.A.B. and municipal clerks around the state have started receiving numerous questions and complaints about recent direct mailings on voter registration and absentee voting because they contain campaign messages and even errors that could interfere with voting, said Kevin J. Kennedy, director and general counsel of the G.A.B.

“Every election we get complaints about these types of mailings,” Kennedy said. “Political parties and interest groups send out glossy mailers to encourage voters to register or apply for an absentee ballot to vote by mail. While these mailings are permissible, our advice to voters is to examine them carefully before relying on them for definitive information about participating in the electoral process. Preferably, voters should rely instead on their local municipal clerk’s office or our new MyVote.WI.gov website.”

The biggest problem with mailers this election cycle is that some of them contain incorrect return mailing addresses for municipal clerks. Many voters received mailers from the Republican Party of Wisconsin, for instance, that mistakenly included a return address for the clerk’s office in the town of Albion in Dane County.
Incorrect addresses for the clerk’s office result in the request being misdirected or delayed or worse, the ballot not being counted, said Elections Division Administrator Nat Robinson.
“Wisconsin’s municipal clerks are conscientious and diligent, and they do their best to send misdirected voter registrations and absentee ballot applications to the right place,” Robinson said. However, ensuring that misdirected registration forms and absentee ballot applications actually get to the proper municipality in time cannot be guaranteed.
These mailings also generate unnecessary work for municipal clerks because some people who are already registered fill out the forms and send them in, Robinson said. “Voters can spend two minutes online at MyVote.WI.gov and see whether their registration is current,” he said.
Additionally, voter registration and absentee voting mailers often contain political messages, leading some people to mistakenly believe the mailers are coming from their municipal clerk or the Government Accountability Board. “The G.A.B. and Wisconsin’s municipal clerks are non-partisan, and would never send out partisan political mailings,” Kennedy said.
Voters who need to register or change their address should go to MyVote.WI.gov, Wisconsin’s new voter services website, Robinson said. The website is designed to deliver personalized information for each voter, so start by choosing the kind of voter you are, and enter your name and date of birth to see your own voter record. Electors who need to register for the first time, or need to update their voter record, are strongly encouraged to do so as soon as possible and not wait until Election Day.
People can fill out the registration form online, print it out, sign it and send it to the correct clerk’s address which the website will provide. The system will save the voter’s information so when the signed form arrives at the clerk’s office, the voter will be in the system awaiting approval.
Voters without online computer access should look up their municipal clerk’s office in the phone book or call their city, village or town hall.
MyVote.WI.gov will deliver absentee ballots online only for military and permanent overseas voters, as authorized by law. Regular Wisconsin voters who need to get an absentee ballot can use MyVote.WI.gov to find their correct clerk’s address and contact information, then make the request in writing, or by fax or email.
Most voters who wish to cast absentee ballots by mail must make their request by 5 p.m. the Thursday before the election. Voters who are military or overseas, or who are indefinitely confined due to age, disability, infirmity or illness may request absentee ballots by 5 p.m. the Friday before the election. For this federal election, military voters who are on active duty away from their residence may request an absentee ballot until 5 p.m. on Election Day. All absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, and received by 4 p.m. Friday, November 9 to be counted.
Those wishing to vote early may also do so in-person at their municipal clerk’s office during normal business hours starting Monday, October 22. The period for in-person absentee voting ends Friday, November 2 at 5 p.m. or the close of business, whichever is later.

MADISON, WI – Wednesday is the last day for voter registration drives and mail-in registration in Wisconsin, but voters can continue to register in their municipal clerk’s office, as well as at the polling place on Election Day.

“Open registration closes this year on October 17, so registration forms need to be postmarked or hand-delivered to the municipal clerk’s office by then,” said Kevin J. Kennedy, Wisconsin’s chief election official. “But there are many more opportunities for voters to get registered.”

Wisconsin has 3,467,021 registered voters, and a voting age population of 4,378,741.

Kennedy encouraged voters who need to register or update their registration to go to MyVote.WI.gov, the state’s new voter information website. On the website, they can start the registration process online by filling out a registration form. Voters can print the form, sign it and deliver it to the clerk’s office by Friday, November 2. They can also bring it with them to the polls on Election Day.

After the open registration period, voters must show a proof of residence document to complete their registration. That can include a valid driver license or state ID card with a current address. Anyone who does not have a DL or ID card can use a number of other documents that include the person’s name and current address. Acceptable documents include a residential lease, a utility bill (including telephone or cell phone), property tax bill, bank statement (not a credit card bill), paycheck, or other government-issued check or document. A full list is available at MyVote.WI.gov.

Elections Division Administrator Nat Robinson reminded voters that “early voting” starts soon. Voters will be able to cast in-person absentee ballots in the clerks’ office starting Monday, October 22 through Friday, November 2. Voters should check with their municipal clerk’s office for office hours. Some clerks in smaller towns may not have regular office hours, but can arrange in-person absentee voting by appointment.
Voters can find their local clerk’s contact information at MyVote.WI.gov.

MADISON, WI – More than 225,000 Wisconsin residents have requested absentee ballots so far – including more than 100,000 in clerks’ offices – for the November 6 General Election, according to the Government Accountability Board.

“We are seeing long lines at many municipal clerks’ offices around the state,” said Kevin J. Kennedy, Wisconsin’s chief election official. “One in five ballots (633,610) cast in 2008 were absentee, and we expect to see similar numbers in 2012.”

As of late Thursday, at least 225,209 absentee ballots had been issued by Wisconsin’s local election officials who track them using the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS). There were 101,253 ballots issued in clerks’ offices, and 123,956 ballots issued by mail.

Comparable numbers from four years ago are not available. About one third of municipalities track absentee ballots in SVRS, including all the state’s large cities.

In-person absentee voting in the clerk’s office runs through 5 p.m. or the close of business on Friday, November 2, whichever is later. Some clerks are offering extended hours to handle demand.

Kennedy offered these tips for voters who are thinking of voting early in the clerk’s office:

• Check your municipal clerk’s office hours. Some clerks, especially in smaller municipalities, do not have regular 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. office hours. In some places, you may need to make an appointment.
• Remember that voting is at municipal clerks’ offices, not county clerks’ offices.
• You can find your clerk’s location and contact information at My Vote Wisconsin: http://myvote.wi.gov.
• While you are at My Vote Wisconsin, make sure your registration information is current. If it is not, you can fill out a registration form online, print it, sign it and bring it with you to the clerk’s office. Your information will be waiting in the clerk’s computer system.
• If you are registering at the clerk’s office, be sure to bring an acceptable proof of residence document because the open registration period ended October 17. You can find a list of documents under “Information About Voting” at the My Vote Wisconsin website.
• Consider waiting for Election Day to vote. The lines may well be shorter, especially if you vote at off-peak times.

“In the 2008 election, there were 633,610 absentee ballots, and two-thirds were cast in the clerk’s office. The numbers of absentee voters continues to grow,” said Kennedy, director and general counsel of the G.A.B. “There could be many reasons – voter enthusiasm and convenience.”

Elections Division Administrator Nat Robinson said in the past, the G.A.B. has received reports from clerks that a few people who come in to vote are confused about the difference between Wisconsin’s practice of in-person absentee voting and true early voting offered in other states.

“Some people who vote in the clerk’s office expect to be able to put their ballot into a tabulating machine or a ballot box,” Robinson said. “Under Wisconsin law, these ballots must be put into sealed certificate envelopes and sent to the polling place or a central count location on Election Day, where they will be opened and tabulated by election inspectors.”

Mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, and must be received by the clerk by 4 p.m. the Friday after the election.

Kennedy noted that there is a popular misperception that absentee ballots are not counted unless an election is close. “Every absentee ballot that has been properly cast will be counted,” Kennedy said.

Because of the popularity of absentee voting, many political parties, committees and interest groups mail out absentee ballot applications to voters they believe will support their candidates. The G.A.B. and municipal clerks around the state continue to receive complaints about these mailers because they contain political messages. But a bigger problem is that some mailers may have an incorrect address for the clerk’s office where they need to be sent, which could delay or prevent a voter from receiving an absentee ballot.

The deadline for clerks to receive a request for an absentee ballot by mail is 5 p.m. Thursday, November 1. Voters who request an absentee ballot using a flier they received in the mail should double check the clerk’s mailing address in the event of an error, Kennedy said.
 

MADISON, WI – More than 412,000 Wisconsin residents have requested absentee ballots so far – including more than 256,000 in clerks’ offices – for the November 6 General Election, according to the Government Accountability Board.

“Based on our limited numbers, absentee voting continues to be robust around the state,” said Kevin J. Kennedy, Wisconsin’s chief election official. “One week ago, 225,209 absentee ballots had been requested.”

As of late Wednesday, at least 412,611 voters had requested absentee ballots, according to Wisconsin’s local election officials who track them using the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS). There were 256,277 ballots requested in clerks’ offices, and 156,334 ballots requested by mail and other methods.

Comparable pre-election numbers from four years ago are not available. In 2008, 21 percent of the 2.99 million ballots cast (633,610) were absentee. Clerks are not required to report absentee ballot numbers until after the election. However, more than half  of municipal clerks track some or all absentee ballots in SVRS, including all the state’s large cities.

In-person absentee voting in the clerk’s office runs through 5 p.m. or the close of business on Friday, November 2, whichever is later. Some clerks are offering extended hours to handle demand.  Voters should check their municipal clerk’s office hours. Some clerks, especially in smaller municipalities, do not have regular 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. office hours. In some places, voters may need to make an appointment.

Elections Division Administrator Nat Robinson urged voters to visit the My Vote Wisconsin website, where they can find their clerk’s location and contact information, as well as see a sample ballot and check their voter registration status: http://myvote.wi.gov.

Additional information about absentee voting is available on the Board’s website: http://gab.wi.gov/voters. The G.A.B. will release updated numbers on Monday, November 5.

Madison, WI – Anticipating a high level of state and national media interest in covering Wisconsin’s voting on November 6, 2012, the Government Accountability Board is issuing this advisory.  This is for planning purposes only, and not intended for publication or distribution.

At the Polling Place

Members of the news media may be inside polling places on Election Day, subject to most of the same restrictions on other election observers. Please refer to our election observer brochure (http://gab.wi.gov/publications/brochures/observer-rules) for details. Reporters and photographers may wish to print the brochure to take with them in the event there are questions.

Unlike voters and regular election observers, media may record sound, images and video inside the polling place, as long as it is not disruptive. You may use cell phones or tablets to take pictures and video, something regular observers are not allowed to do. However, no media may broadcast live or tape broadcasts (stand-ups) from within a polling place.

When you arrive at a polling place, find the Chief Election Inspector and notify him or her who you are and what organization you represent. The Chief Inspector keeps a list of media, but you are not required to sign in.

You may not contact (interview) voters when they are in line waiting to vote. The only people authorized to have contact with voters prior to voting are the election workers. Please do not take images/video of voters’ faces going into polling places, which some voters find intimidating. Photographing lines of voters should not be a problem. After voters have finished, you are free to ask them for interviews outside the polling place. Please do not block the exits.

The best sources of information about polling places are municipal clerks. A directory of clerks is on our website: http://gab.wi.gov/clerks/directory.

Election Day Issues

For updates on how voting is going on Election Day, visit our website: http://gab.wi.gov/blog. You can also follow our Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/Wisconsin_GAB. When we know something, we’ll post it.

Counting the Vote

Wisconsin does not have a statewide system for reporting results on Election Night, and there is not a central website where results will be reported. The most reliable source is the Associated Press, which gathers information from all 72 counties and provides unofficial results to its members. Some television stations in Wisconsin that are not AP members are also collecting election results.

After the polls close at 8 p.m., the election workers will count any absentee ballots that have not been counted throughout the day and announce the vote totals for that polling place. They will also take care of the administrative work required before taking the results to the municipal clerk. The municipal clerk then provides the unofficial results to the county clerk, who tabulates results for the county and posts it to the county’s website.

Absentee ballots that have been postmarked by Election Day have until 4 p.m. on Friday, November 9 to arrive in the clerk’s office to be counted. Municipalities are required to post the number of outstanding absentee ballots and provisional ballots on the internet on Election Night. (Unlike other states, Wisconsin has very few provisional ballots because we have Election Day Registration.)

Counties will convene their boards of canvass to certify official results starting on Tuesday, November 13. While we expect official results to come in relatively quickly, the deadline for counties to provide certified results to the Government Accountability Board is Tuesday, November 20. The deadline for the G.A.B. to certify statewide results is December 1.

Recount Rules

If the election is close and a losing candidate wants to ask for a recount, the candidate must wait until the last day a county board of canvassers meets, and the deadline for requesting a recount is three business days after the G.A.B. receives the last statement from a county board of canvassers. For more information about recounts, please see consult the information here: http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/recount.

Election Day Interviews

News media wishing to set up interviews with G.A.B. Director Kevin Kennedy should contact Reid Magney at 608-267-7887, or email reid.magney@wi.gov.