MADISON, Wis. — Madison’s mayor has placed the city’s top elections official on paid administrative leave pending the results of an investigation into how the city clerk’s office let nearly 200 ballots go uncounted in the November presidential election.
The change comes just days before early voting begins in Wisconsin’s statewide April election. Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway’s office said Wednesday that Maribeth Witzel-Behl was suspended to help “maintain public confidence” in the city’s elections administration.
Witzel-Behl did not notify the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission that her office had failed to count 193 absentee ballots until six weeks after the November election. The commission has not yet decided whether Witzel-Behl broke the law or acted improperly.
Elections commissioners voted in January to launch an investigation into the error, and last week they voted unanimously to authorize two elections commissioners to begin deposing city employees as they continue to look for answers.
The elections commission was set to meet Wednesday afternoon to vote on sending a letter to local clerks across the state warning them not to make similar mistakes and providing guidance on how to ensure all absentee ballots are processed properly.
Madison voters have also filed a class action lawsuit against the city over the uncounted ballots.
According to the mayor’s statement, Madison City Attorney Michael Haas will take over as acting city clerk through the April election. Haas previously led the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
