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Wisconsin Voters File Class-Action Lawsuit Over Uncounted Ballots
MADISON, Wis. — A group of four voters from Wisconsin has taken legal action following the mishandling of their ballots during the November presidential election. They have initiated a class-action lawsuit seeking $175,000 in damages for each individual.
These voters were part of a larger group of 193 individuals in Madison whose ballots were misplaced by the city clerk’s office. The issue went unnoticed until weeks after the election, although it did not influence the outcome of any races.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission carried out an investigation into the matter but did not conclusively determine if Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl violated state regulations or misused her authority. The clerk did not alert the elections commission about the problem until December, which was almost a month and a half after the election occurred and after the official results were certified on November 29.
Attorney Jeff Mandell, representing the plaintiffs and serving as general counsel for Law Forward, emphasized the lawsuit’s intent: to bolster and safeguard voting rights in Wisconsin. He expressed concerns about the consequences of uncounted votes on the democratic process during a press event where the lawsuit was announced.
“When people’s votes are not counted, when the right to vote is violated, our democracy is diminished,” Mandell stated.
The four plaintiffs are pursuing claims against both the city of Madison and Dane County, exceeding the capped amount of $50,000 typically permitted in class-action lawsuits against municipal entities. The notice filed with the lawsuit also argues that this financial cap is unconstitutional.
According to Mandell, the number of voters eligible to join the lawsuit could potentially increase, as all individuals whose ballots were not counted have been identified in the notice made public on Thursday.
In response to the allegations, Madison city spokesperson Dylan Brogan stressed the city’s commitment to election integrity. He noted that the clerk’s office has publicly apologized for the oversight and has personally reached out to affected voters.
Brogan also stated that measures have been implemented to prevent similar errors in the future, with the clerk’s office looking forward to further guidance from the state elections commission. He refrained from commenting directly on the lawsuit.
The investigation into the uncounted ballots will be further discussed by the state elections commission on Friday. Reports indicate that the clerk has not clarified the circumstances surrounding the polling locations, how the ballots went uncounted on Election Day, or the reasons behind their misplacement.
Investigators have pointed out that the clerk also did not indicate whether she had consulted with chief inspectors in the affected wards, which complicates efforts to formulate guidelines for other elections officials in the state to prevent similar incidents.
Source
abcnews.go.com