MADISON, Wis. — The Madison City Clerk's Office announced Thursday that 193 absentee ballots from the November 5, 2024, general election were not properly processed.
The ballots were discovered during post-election reconciliation and clean-up and did not affect the outcome of any race, according to the clerk's office.
Here’s a breakdown of the unprocessed ballots found, according to the City of Madison Clerk’s Office:
- Ward 56: 125 unprocessed absentee ballots
- Ward 65: 67 unprocessed absentee ballots
- Ward 68: 1 mis-sorted absentee ballot, found in the tabulator for Ward 65.
The first set of unprocessed ballots was found when Clerk’s Office personnel emptied the tabulator bins for Ward 65 and discovered one sealed courier bag containing the 68 ballots.
The second set was discovered during reconciliation for Ward 56 when Clerk’s Office personnel found two sealed absentee carrier envelopes containing 125 unprocessed absentee ballots.
Watch: Madison Clerk's Office finds unprocessed absentee ballots from November election
What is the reconciliation process?
Reconciliation is the process of comparing all counts and assigning participation in WisVote. It begins immediately after the election, and clerks have 45 days to complete the process after a presidential election.
Officials have informed the Wisconsin Elections Commission and will contact affected voters, which is specified in the reconciliation process.
To prevent similar issues in the future, the Clerk’s Office said every polling location will receive a list of absentee envelope seal numbers that will be verified as counted on Election Day.
On Thursday, they apologized for the unprocessed absentee ballots and said in part:
"The goal of the Clerk’s Office is that each eligible voter will be able to cast a ballot and have that ballot counted. Falling short of this goal for the November 2024 Election, we sincerely apologize to our voters and will strive to make sure this never happens again."
To read their full release, clickhere.
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