Madison Reporter

The City of Madison Clerk's Office has revealed the discovery of unprocessed absentee ballots from the November 5, 2024 general election. A total of 193 ballots from Wards 56, 65, and 68 were found during post-election reconciliation and clean-up procedures. Officials have confirmed that these uncounted ballots do not impact the outcome of any races or referendums.

The first batch was identified when personnel emptied tabulator bins for Ward 65, uncovering a sealed courier bag with 68 unprocessed absentee ballots—67 for Ward 65 and one mis-sorted ballot for Ward 68.

The second batch surfaced during the voter participation reconciliation process for Ward 56. This process involves comparing all counts and assigning participation in WisVote, which must be completed within 45 days following a presidential election. During this process, two sealed absentee carrier envelopes containing a total of 125 unprocessed ballots were discovered.

As per procedure, the Clerk's Office reported the unprocessed ballots to the Wisconsin Elections Commission by December 20. To ensure transparency, they are also informing the public and contacting each affected voter individually with an apology letter. Further details about how these ballots were found are included in a memo to the Wisconsin Election Commission.

Looking ahead, polling locations will receive lists of absentee envelope seal numbers to verify as counted on Election Day. The Clerk's Office stated their goal is for every eligible voter's ballot to be counted, acknowledging they fell short in November 2024 and apologizing sincerely to voters while committing to preventing future occurrences.