Voting Blogs: Kloppenburg Concedes Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, Cites ‘Widespread Irregularities’, Says Problems Found During ‘Recount Should be Wake-Up Call’ | The Brad Blog

Citing a "cascade of irregularities", thousands of tabulation errors discovered during the statewide "recount", and tens of thousands of ballots found to be unverifiable or otherwise having been in violation of the secure chain of custody, Wisconsin's independent Asst. AG JoAnne Kloppenburg conceded the Wisconsin Supreme Court Election for a 10-year term on the bench to Republican incumbent Justice David Prosser this afternoon at a press conference held in Madison.

"Over 150 ballot bags containing tens of thousands of votes were found open, unsealed or torn. Waukesha County had twice as many torn, open or unsealed bags as every other county in the state combined. In many cases, municipal clerks in Waukesha testified the bags weren’t torn when they left cities, towns and villages so the security breaches occurred sometime when the bags were in Waukesha County’s custody."

Wisconsin: Backers of efforts to recall Senate Democrats call for top election official to resign | CapTimes

Residents connected to the recall efforts of three Democratic senators called for the states top election official to resign Tuesday, charging the agency he oversees is slanting recall results toward the Democrats.

The call for Kevin Kennedy, the director of the nonpartisan Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, to resign came after the agencys board voted Tuesday to move ahead with recall elections against three more Republican senators, while postponing its decision to vote on the petitions to recall three Democratic senators. Kennedy said the GAB needs more time to validate the signatures.

Wisconsin: Three more Wisconsin State Senate recalls certified, group accuses Government Accountability Board of bias | WTAQ

Wisconsin officials certified three more state Senate recall elections Tuesday. The Government Accountability Board said there were enough valid petitions to hold recall votes against Republicans Rob Cowles of Allouez, Sheila Harsdorf of River Falls, and Finance co-chair Alberta Darling of River Hills.

Tuesday’s action means that all 6 Republicans targeted for recalls will stand for election this summer – unless the board’s approvals are challenged in court. Last Friday, the Board delayed action on certifying recall votes against three Democratic senators.

Editorials: Supreme Court recount worthwhile? Our answer? Absolutely. | Appleton Post Crescent

The recount in the state Supreme Court race is done and, as expected, incumbent David Prosser is the winner over challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg. Prosser held a 7,316-vote lead heading into the recount and finished with a 7,006-vote lead.

So, the question is, was the recount worthwhile? Our answer? Absolutely.

On its face, the margin after the election — about a 7,000-vote victory with about 1.5 million votes case — was close enough to make a recount a legitimate request. But the extraordinary circumstances nearly demanded a recount.

Voting Blogs: State Election Board Failed to Review Minutes from Waukesha County ‘Recount’ Before Certifying Wisconsin Supreme Court Election Results | The Brad Blog

Last Monday, May 23rd, Wisconsin's Government Accountability Board (G.A.B.), the state's top election agency, officially certified [PDF] the controversial results of the extraordinarily close April 5th statewide Supreme Court election and its subsequent "recount".

However, as The BRAD BLOG has learned, the agency certified those results without reviewing hundreds of official exhibits documenting wholesale ballot irregularities, on-the-record objections from the attorneys of the candidate who filed for the "recount", and thousands of pages of official transcripts and minutes documenting the entire "recount" process from the election's most controversial county.

Wisconsin: Clerks say small-town poll workers may face shocked voters over new ID law | GazetteXtra

In the small towns of Walworth and Rock counties, voters and poll workers usually know each other, their kids and their kin. The friendly familiarity that clerks say has suppressed voter fraud might turn to hard feelings when photo identification becomes a voting requirement for the 2012 spring elections.

On the other hand, showing photo identification could prevent occasional misunderstandings by elderly, hard-of-hearing poll workers.

Wisconsin: Numerous Challenges Could Push Back Date of Wisconsin Recall Election | Fox Point-Bayside, WI Patch

Challenges filed by state Sen. Alberta Darling and three other senators against the recall petitions filed against them could push back the date of the recall elections, the state Government Accountability Board said Friday.

The board had tentatively set the date for all recall elections for July 12. However, that date was set before the four incumbents - Darling, and Democrats Jim Holperin, Robert Wirch and Dave Hansen  - raised "numerous factual and legal issues" regarding the petitions, the board said.

Voting Blogs: Election Transparency Must be Apolitical | TrustTheVote

For those of you who have been following the recount saga in Wisconsin, here is a bit of news, and a reflection on that.

So, the news from a couple of days ago (I’m just catching up) is that the process of re-counting is complete, but the resolution of that close election may not be.  The re-counting did not change which candidate is leading, and apparently expanded the margin slightly.

Trailing candidate Joanne Kloppenburg explains her motivation for the recount in a newspaper letter to the editor, building on the old but true assertion that, “One may be entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts.”

Wisconsin: Wisconsin Governor Walker Signs Voter ID Law, Angering Democrats | Suite101.com

Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker signed a bill that will require voters to produce a photo identification card (Wisconsin issued driver's license, passport, military ID, or student ID with certain details) at the polls. Poll workers will begin to ask voters for identification on January 1, 2012, but it will not be required by law until the spring elections of 2012.

The primary rationale for the law, according to Republican proponents, is to combat voter fraud. Democrats, however, feel that the law is a political move to limit the vote of their biggest constituents.

 

Editorials: Scot Ross: Why voter ID bill may be unconstitutional | CapTimes

We believe Wisconsin’s new voter ID law is overly burdensome on voters and that the state is simply unequipped to administer this law and ensure legal voters will not be disenfranchised or subject to a poll tax. We continue to confer with legal counsel about what potential legal challenges can be made against Gov. Scott Walker’s voter suppression bill.

The bill originally was based on Indiana’s voter ID bill. According to the U.S. Supreme Court case upholding Indiana’s bill, the lower court found that “99 percent of Indiana’s voting age population already possesses the necessary photo identification to vote under the requirements.” The Supreme Court concluded that Indiana’s law was constitutional, specifically because so few Indianans were without the state-issued photo identification.

Wisconsin: Election officials wary over cost, implementation of Wisconsin voter ID bill | LaCrosse Tribune

Election officials across Wisconsin are bracing for a difficult transition as the state rushes into place new rules for voting signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker Wednesday — including a controversial measure requiring voters to use photo identification.

Passage of the law, which has been discussed by Republicans for more than a decade, means those charged with enforcing it have less than two months to develop and implement the training needed to handle polls in the coming recall elections.

“This will be a huge undertaking, to get everything and everybody ready,” said Diane Hermann-Brown, Sun Prairie city clerk and president of the Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association. “We still have questions about how this will work.”

Wisconsin: Correcting the Record: Merchants are not required to ask for ID when using a credit card | Dane101

In many of the articles I've read regarding the Voter ID legislation that was signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker yesterday I've seen a variation of the following statement from officials who support the legislation. This version of the statement comes from Oneida County Clerk Mary Bartlet:

""You have to show an ID to buy liquor, you have to show an ID to use a credit card so why not?" "

This simply isn't true. You do not "have to show an ID to use a credit card." There is no law in the State of Wisconsin that makes that a requirement. There is no federal law that makes that a requirement.

Wisconsin: Election officials wary as Walker signs Wisconsin voter ID bill into law

Election officials across Wisconsin are bracing for a difficult transition as the state rushes into place new rules for voting signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker Wednesday — including a controversial measure requiring voters to use photo IDs. Passage of the controversial law, which has been discussed by Republicans for more than a decade, means those charged with enforcing it have just under two months to develop and implement the training needed to handle polls in the coming recall elections.

“This will be a huge undertaking, to get everything and everybody ready,” said Diane Hermann-Brown, Sun Prairie city clerk and president of the Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association. “We still have questions about how this will work.”

Wisconsin: Wisconsin governor signs controversial voter ID law | Reuters

The Republican governor of Wisconsin signed a bill on Wednesday that will require voters in the state to show photo identification when they go to the polls.

The measure, which Democrats characterize as a voter suppression effort but Republicans defend as a protection against fraud at the polls, will take partial effect just as nine state senators — including six of Governor Scott Walker’s Republican allies — face recall challenges in mid-July.

Wisconsin: Voter ID law could cause headaches in Wisconsin | Wausau Daily Herald

Senior citizens who don’t drive and University of Wisconsin students who depend on their student IDs to vote are among those who could be turned away from the polls on election days.

Gov. Scott Walker on Wednesday signed into law a bill requiring voters to show some form of photo identification — such as a driver’s license, state-issued ID card, military or tribal ID or passport — before they can vote. College students can vote with a student ID that bears a signature and an expiration date within two years of the card’s issuance, but UW student IDs currently don’t fulfill that requirement.

Wisconsin: Voter ID Law Could Bring Confusion To Wisconsin Voters | WISN Milwaukee

Wisconsin voters will be required to show identification at the polls before casting a ballot. Gov. Scott Walker signed the voter ID bill into law on Wednesday.

…  The Government Accountability Board is already gearing up, preparing a $650,000 for public education campaign. “We will be working on developing billboards and television commercials and other sorts of communications to get the word out,” said Reid Magney of the Government Accountability Board.

Election officials around the state have to jump right in, especially those such as Milwaukee’s Sue Edman, who have Senate recall elections, just a little more than a month away.

Wisconsin: Wisconsin Set to Pass Country’s Most Restrictive Voter ID Law | Colorlines

Wisconsin will soon have the what’s arguably the nation’s most restrictive voter ID law. The bill was passed through the the Republican-led Senate late last week and is expected be signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker on Wednesday. Voter rights advocates are worried that the new bill will keep some of the Democratic party’s key constituents away from the polls in 2012. And as more bills sweep across the country, concern is growing over the GOP’s push to fix a problem that, statistically, just doesn’t exist.

But that wasn’t a concern of Republican Governor Scott Walker last week when the bill passed the state Senate. “Requiring a photo identification to vote will go a long way to eliminate the threat of voter fraud,” Walker told the Wisconsin State Journal. “If you need an ID to buy cold medicine, it’s reasonable to require it to vote.”

Editorials: Our view: Walker signing law we don’t need | LaCrosse Tribune

With the stroke of a pen today, Gov. Scott Walker will officially solve a problem that we don’t have. If you listen to Walker and some fellow governors, they’re protecting the integrity of elections and preventing voter fraud.

If you ask most everyone else, it’s a slick way of making it more difficult for people to vote — especially people who are less likely to vote for Walker and his Republican colleagues.

Wisconsin: Voter ID bill will be costly for Wisconsin universities | WQOW TV

Rindo says it would cost the university more than $100,000 to replace all student IDs.

A bill to cut down on voter fraud could have universities cutting up student IDs and starting over.  Governor Walker is expected to sign a voter ID bill into law this week.

Voters would be required to have a driver’s license, state issued ID or student ID to vote.  University officials say efforts to make it easier for students to vote are welcome. 

Wisconsin: State board declares Prosser winner in Wisconsin Supreme Court Recount | JSOnline

State elections officials on Monday certified the results of the recount of the April 5 election for state Supreme Court, declaring that Justice David Prosser has been re-elected to another 10-year term on the court by 7,004 votes.

“I look forward to taking the oath of office and continuing to serve in a fair and independent manner as a member of the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” Prosser said a statement.

Wisconsin: Prosser wins recount in Wisconsin Supreme Court race – Kloppenburg weighs challenge | JSOnline

Certified vote totals, minutes and other details are available at the Government Accountability Board website.

With the weeks-long recount complete, unofficial numbers confirm that state Supreme Court Justice David Prosser narrowly defeated Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg in the April 5 election. But the battle may not be over yet, as Kloppenburg mulls whether to challenge the results in court.

And if a legal contest goes on long enough, attorneys say it could delay efforts to swear Prosser in for a new term on Aug. 1, leading to a temporary vacancy on the closely divided high court.

Wisconsin: Recount in Wisconsin Supreme Court race to serve as tool for improving election process | JSOnline

With Waukesha County’s plodding recount in the Supreme Court now over and with Justice David Prosser’s statewide win almost certain to be certified as early as Monday, the state’s top election official said lessons from the recount will not be ignored.

“This isn’t something you do and just put it on the shelf,” said Kevin Kennedy, executive director of the Government Accountability Board. The detailed recount record serves a public purpose as an opportunity to evaluate clerk training and election procedures and to make changes where needed.

“We will devote a lot of energy to that between now and this fall’s elections,” he said.

Wisconsin: Senate president can’t gavel down truth: Wisconsin Voter ID bill is voter suppression bill | Cap Times

Senate President Mike Ellis, under pressure from Gov. Scott Walker and the out-of-state political interests that seek to game our politics, lost it last week.

The Neenah Republican was literally sputtering, grumbling “shut up” and banging his gavel in order to silence senators who sought to raise legitimate objections about the rush to pass a voter ID bill. The legislation in question was written by Washington-based political strategists with an eye toward disenfranchising students, the elderly, people of color and low-income urban and rural citizens going into the 2012 presidential election.

Ellis tried to silence the senior member of the Wisconsin Legislature — indeed, the senior legislator in the nation — but state Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, calmly continued to outline the fundamental flaws in the voter ID bill. Ellis and his Republican colleagues may not have wanted to hear it, but Risser was saying something important, something every Wisconsinite should recognize.

Wisconsin: Getting Ready for the New Wisconsin Voter ID Law | WUWM

Wisconsin lawmakers approved a bill last Thursday changing state voting rules. Gov. Scott Walker says he’ll sign the bill into law this week.

The major new mandate is that voters will have to show a photo ID. People must also live at an address for 28 days before they vote in that precinct. And the bill moves up the deadline for casting absentee ballots.

As WUWM’s Ann-Elise Henzl reports, groups that had fought the changes now say they’ll now focus on helping residents navigate the new rules, especially in obtaining acceptable ids.

Wisconsin: Tale of the Tapes: Wisconsin’s ‘Dog-and-Pony Show’ Faith-Based Supreme Court Election ‘Recount’ | The Brad Blog

For weeks, we’ve been reporting on the mess seen in the statewide “recount” of Wisconsin’s very close and very contentious April 5th Supreme Court election between Republican incumbent Justice David Prosser and his challenger, Asst. Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg.

As The BRAD BLOG obtained evidence of new irregularities this week — to add to previously reported revelations of, among other irregularities, ballot bags discovered “wide open” with mismatched or missing serial numbers as well as ballots discovered completely unsecured, all in violation of the secure chain of custody, and other similar messes and mistallies across the state — we wanted to find out if the state’s chief election agency, the Government Accountability Board (G.A.B.), was able to confirm that the ballots counted during the “recount” were actually the ones cast on Election Day. And, if so, how they could confirm that.

Wisconsin: College students could be affected by Wisconsin Voter ID Bill | weau.com

A few college students we talked to at UW-Eau Claire say they haven’t heard much about the Voter ID Bill, but they say at face value, it sounds like a good idea.

“I think it’s probably a good thing, to at least show that you are who you say you are instead of having someone representing you or falsifying you and stealing your vote,” says new UW-Eau Claire transfer student Eric Wisz.

The bill would require each voter to show a valid photo ID with their current address on it. “That I don’t actually have,” says Wisz. “I think it could make it difficult, especially for college students and those who move a lot.”

Wisconsin: Senate passes Wisconsin voter ID bill, sends to Walker | Wisconsin Law Journal

The state Senate gave final legislative approval to a bill that would require Wisconsin voters to show photo identification during a ragged session Thursday, clearing the way for Gov. Scott Walker to sign the measure into law next week.

Assembly Republicans passed the measure in a late-night session last week. Republicans who control the Senate brought the bill up for debate on Tuesday. Democrats railed against it into the early morning hours on Wednesday, finally using a procedural maneuver to delay the final vote until Thursday.

Wisconsin: GOP legislative aide under investigation for voter fraud

A Republican legislative aide is under investigation for possible vote fraud after she cast her ballot in the November election in Onalaska although she lives in Madison.

La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke said he has forwarded the report from the Onalaska Police Department to Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne to see if criminal charges are warranted against Marcie Malszycki, 30, an aide to state Rep. Warren Petryk, R-Eleva.