The Deputy Clerk of the City of Madison, Jim Verbick, has confirmed that 2,215 duplicate absentee ballots were sent out in ten wards, just a few weeks before the critical presidential election.
Verbick claimed the ballots were sent due to a data processing error, allegedly caused by an error when trying to merge files containing absentee ballots for voters with the same ballot style, WKOW reported.
“There was a human error that occurred. Even though duplicate ballots were sent, we will only receive one ballot from each voter, and when we return, we will make sure we only have one ballot.
According to the Madison Clerk’s Office:
The Madison Clerk’s Office corrected a data processing error that caused duplicate absentee ballots to be sent to about 2,000 voters. The error only affected a few isolated voters and was quickly caught and corrected so it didn’t affect other ballots going forward.
The Clerk’s Office has contacted voters individually to inform them of the error, taking care to send in only one ballot, and to destroy the second one to avoid confusion.
Because duplicate ballot envelopes have the same barcode, if no voter submits two absent ballots, only one can be counted.
Once the barcode of the envelope is scanned, the voting system does not allow ballots with the same barcode to be submitted. Voters are also marked in the poll book as having submitted an absentee ballot as another safeguard against voters who submit a second ballot.
The clerk’s office insists the issue is resolved, but with confidence in an already fragile election process, many are questioning whether this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Representative Tom Tiffany (R-WI) quickly responded, calling for an independent investigation into the matter. Tiffany, a strong advocate for election integrity, demanded transparency from the Madison Clerk’s Office, led by Maribeth Witzel-Behl.
In a letter to Witzel-Behl, Rep. Tiffany wrote:
Like many Wisconsinites, I am shocked by the recent report that “about 2,000” duplicate ballots have been mailed out by your office. The Clerk’s Office has since issued a six-sentence statement stating, without providing any significant details, that this “error” affected “an isolated number of voters” in one ward and was “quickly caught and corrected.”
I am looking for additional information on the scope and details of the report.
- How was this “mistake” discovered?
- Has the Clerk’s Office contacted law enforcement to investigate whether this “mistake” was the result of simple incompetence or deliberate malice?
- Has the Clerk’s Office identified the person or persons responsible for this “mistake”?
- Has the Clerk’s Office taken steps to preserve all emails, internal communications, handwritten notes, and other records related to this “mistake”?
- How many duplicate ballots are sent by the Clerk’s Office?
- The Clerk’s Office stated that this “error” only affected voters in one ward. That ward? Has the Clerk’s Office received reports of duplicate ballots in other wards, or done due diligence to ensure that these “errors” were limited to one ward?
- Have these duplicate ballots been returned to the Clerk’s Office, and if so, have they been set aside pending investigation?
- The Clerk’s Office has claimed that duplicate ballots have unique bar codes. Is this unique ballot barcode linked to an identifiable individual voter profile?
Yesterday, the Madison City Clerk admitted there was an “error” that caused thousands of duplicate absentee ballots to be sent.
Wisconsinites deserve transparency and answers.
How was the error discovered, which wards were affected, and who was responsible for the error? pic.twitter.com/COsXh86TLl
— Rep. Tom Tiffany (@RepTiffany) September 24, 2024
This isn’t the first time Madison’s election has come under scrutiny. The city’s involvement with the controversial “Zuckerbucks” initiative, which provides private money to the election administration.
In the interview, Rep. Tiffany emphasized the need for an independent investigation, stating, “What started as a problem in one ward is now at least ten. These inconsistencies deserve an independent answer and investigation.
⏰It’s been 24 hours, and my office is still waiting for a response from the Madison Clerk’s Office regarding the duplicate absentee ballot.
What started as a problem in 1 ward is now at least 10.
These inconsistencies deserve an answer and an independent investigation. pic.twitter.com/GAfJiYQKRH
— Rep. Tom Tiffany (@RepTiffany) September 25, 2024
In response to Tiffany’s letter, the Madison City Clerk’s Office provided a detailed statement attempting to explain the error.
The statement confirmed that the problem was discovered after voters reported receiving duplicate ballots and that the office has taken steps to ensure that the error does not happen again.
According to the clerk’s office, duplicate ballots have not been returned, and only one ballot per voter.
However, the office denied the need for law enforcement involvement, claiming the error was purely administrative.
