The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission plans to request explanations and specific corrective actions from Milwaukee election officials following a central-count error that delayed results in the August 11 partisan primary.
At its August 31 meeting, the commission will vote on whether to send a formal letter to Milwaukee Elections Commission Executive Director Paulina Gutiérrez. The draft letter states that city staff “inadvertently produc[ed] an audit log report from five of the central count tabulators rather than the report of the unofficial results,” which delayed the public announcement of Milwaukee’s totals.
While the state commission states it is “not aware of any compromise of the vote tally,” it stresses that such errors “can undermine the public’s confidence in the election process.” The letter requests two specific actions:
First, Milwaukee should make the central-count tabulator audit logs from election night public. According to the draft, releasing these logs would “conclusively prove that no unauthorized activity occurred” between the time the incorrect files were downloaded, the error was identified, and the correct results were produced.
Second, Milwaukee should provide a detailed staff training plan to prevent similar errors. The commission recommends public checklists for observers, release of non-sensitive training materials, testing the download process during public equipment tests, and demonstrations for media and party observers before Election Day.
“Fair or unfair, the eyes of the nation are often on Milwaukee,” the draft letter observes, “and providing transparency into the system, especially when a mistake occurs, is a critical service to the voters of our state.”
The request comes after Milwaukee’s third major tabulator-related disruption in recent election cycles. On primary night, workers left the central-count facility with five of the nine flash drives containing audit logs instead of results. Staff had to return under police escort to retrieve the correct files, delaying the reporting of tens of thousands of absentee ballots and leaving the Democratic gubernatorial primary unresolved until early morning.
State lawmakers have already requested explanations. Now, the official body overseeing Wisconsin elections is also calling for increased transparency and improved procedures. When the Wisconsin Elections Commission asks Milwaukee to demonstrate that no improper activity occurred and to address staff training, it signals a recurring issue rather than an isolated error. This ongoing pattern continues to erode trust in the state’s largest election operation, just weeks before a high-stakes general election.
