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WEC Not Disclosing Where Late Ballot Problems Occurred
Most of Wisconsin’s election clerks said they had trouble with mail-in ballots this year.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission wrote a letter to the Postal Service this week, complaining about slow and delayed mail deliveries that caused problems for local election managers.
"We write to you today to express our concern about mail delays that threaten the ability of our citizens to exercise their right to vote," the commissioners wrote. "While these concerns pertain to all voters, Wisconsin voters who are overseas or serving in the military are disproportionately affected by this issue."
Milwaukee’s clerk was the first to report late ballots. Milwaukee’s election office said it got 269 ballots the day after Election Day. Those ballots were not counted.
The Commission, however, said the problems with the mail were statewide.
"Two-thirds of clerks reported problems with the mail," the letter stated. "More than half of the clerks reported receiving complaints of concerns from the voters. And a quarter of the clerks reported receiving more late ballots than is typical for an election."
WEC did not name the clerks, counties, or cities that saw late ballots.
"While most clerks report mail arriving within 3-5 days, a concerning number reported election mail to 7-10 (or more) days to reach its destination,” WEC added in its letter. “Finally, many clerks described infrequent mail deliveries when compared to past elections. One veteran clerk described the quality of service as the lowest in her 23 years of experience.”
The Postal Service told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that it was “aware” of Milwaukee’s late ballots, and said voters should get them in the mail earlier.
"Our longstanding recommendation to voters who choose to vote by mail is to mail early – before Election Day, and at least one week before the deadline,” a spokesperson told the paper.
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