GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Green Bay City Clerk Celestine Jeffreys has responded to a claim that she allegedly took part in ballot harvesting.
In a response filed Tuesday, Jeffreys and her attorney said the city of Green Bay ran a fair, free and accessible election in compliance with state and federal law.
The claims stem from an election complaint that was filed against Jeffreys over the way absentee ballots were handled during the spring election in April.
In the complaint, which was filed with the Wisconsin Elections Commission, three election observers that signed sworn affidavits claim they saw Jeffreys accepting multiple absentee ballots from one voter. You can read the complaint here.
Jefferys’ response to the complaint described a “disturbance” allegedly caused by one of the observers at the Clerk’s office during Election Day in April.
“The disturbance arose when a voter came in to deliver her own ballot as well as her husband’s. Clerk Jeffreys informed the voter that she could not accept the husband’s ballot. The voter then volunteered the information that her husband was physically unable to personally deliver his ballot to the Clerk’s office.
Clerk Jeffreys informed the voter that she would accept both ballots. Although this was a private conversation between Clerk Jeffreys and the voter, Ms. Angus yelled loudly at both women that, in her opinion, the voter could not bring in her husband’s ballot and Clerk Jeffreys could not accept it.
Despite multiple requests from Clerk Jeffreys that Ms. Angus stop interfering with a private conversation with a voter, Ms. Angus continued loudly expressing her opinion about the legality of the decision to accept both ballots. The voter ultimately left the Clerk’s office in tears as a result of this interaction.”
Jefferys’ response asks the Commission to dismiss the complaint with prejudice. Her full response can be read here.
