Milwaukee Election Commission’s Absentee Ballot Glitch Sparks Fresh Calls for Investigation
A mistake exporting audit logs instead of ballot files delayed the count of about 28,000 absentee votes in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, prompting a review by the Milwaukee Election Commission.
In the latest Democratic gubernatorial primary, Milwaukee election workers mistakenly selected an “export files” option rather than “export audit log,” resulting in a prolonged delay while about 28,000 absentee ballots were processed. Paulina Gutierrez, executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, announced a comprehensive after-action review, describing it as a department-wide effort. The error was captured on video by a local news crew, which showed the incorrect command being executed multiple times without detection.
Observers point to a history of similar glitches in Milwaukee, citing delayed counts in the 2024 general election and the 2020 presidential race that helped deliver narrow Democratic victories. State-level officials, including Wisconsin Elections Commission vice chairman Bob Spindell, have called for a formal investigation, though the commission’s communications director emphasizes existing oversight mechanisms. The episode adds to ongoing skepticism about the city’s election administration and fuels demands for greater transparency.
Why it matters
The delay raises doubts about ballot handling accuracy and could affect confidence in future elections.
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