Wisconsin Elections Commission
201 West Washington Avenue, Second Floor
Madison, WI 53707
Sent via email
Dear Members of the Wisconsin Elections Commission:
On behalf of Verified Voting, I submit these comments regarding the February 2, 2023 meeting of the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Verified Voting is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen democracy for all voters by promoting the responsible use of technology in elections. We believe that the integrity and strength of our democracy rely on citizens’ trust that each vote is counted as cast.
We applaud the hard work of election officials statewide to complete the state’s largest post-election voting equipment audit to date—an audit that encompassed 222,075 ballots in 301 municipalities throughout the state. The final report prepared by the Commission provides a valuable assessment of the minor discrepancies that the 2022 post-election audit uncovered. Post-election tabulation audits provide an important check on voting system performance, but auditing election results before they are finalized is key to addressing any significant discrepancies or errors that the audit might uncover.
As part of its previous legislative agenda, the Commission had recommended adjusting the canvass deadline to give municipal clerks more time for this crucial function. We suggest that the Commission take up the issue of canvass and certification deadlines again, with a view to giving clerks sufficient time to canvass and audit results before state certification, whether or not a recount is possible. This could require a broader adjustment of other deadlines and possibly a slight extension of the deadline for state certification.
Respectfully submitted,
Chrissa LaPorte
Senior Policy & Technical Associate
Verified Voting