In Madison, Wisconsin, tensions escalated at a Wisconsin Elections Commission meeting on Thursday during a discussion about uncounted ballots in Madison. The conflict arose when the Democratic chair threatened to expel a Republican commissioner from the proceedings.
The commission is currently probing the actions of former Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl, who resigned after failing to count 200 absentee ballots in the November election and reporting the oversight only after the election results had been certified. Commission Chair Ann Jacobs revealed that she and Commissioner Don Millis had already interviewed Witzel-Behl and other city employees, with plans to question more.
Republican Commissioner Bob Spindell supported the ongoing Madison investigation but emphasized that greater attention should be paid to what he described as more severe election management issues in Milwaukee. However, as he started to elaborate, Jacobs interrupted, asserting that Milwaukee was not on the agenda and threatened to remove him from the meeting.
“I am not going to let you keep going, Bob,” Jacobs insisted, raising her voice. “I’m going to talk over you until you stop. You must stop. You are out of order, and I will eject you from this meeting if you disobey again.” Spindell retorted, questioning Jacobs’ attempt to silence him.
The shouting continued until Spindell yielded, concluding, “I said what I needed to say. Thank you.” Jacobs eventually relented, allowing Spindell to remain. The commission is evenly split, with three Republican and three Democratic commissioners. In past instances, Spindell has often clashed with Jacobs, leading to similar exchanges.
The commission initiated the investigation into Witzel-Behl in January after discovering that 193 absentee ballots were not counted, a fact she reported well after the certification of election results. Although the uncounted ballots did not impact any race outcomes, four Madison voters have filed claims against the city and county for $175,000 each, signaling potential legal action. This incident follows another error by Witzel-Behl’s office, which mistakenly mailed up to 2,000 duplicate absentee ballots earlier.
Amid these missteps, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway suspended Witzel-Behl in March, launching an internal investigation shortly before her resignation. Findings from this investigation have not yet been disclosed to the public.
It was not entirely clear what specific issues Spindell was referring to regarding Milwaukee’s voting process, given Jacobs had intervened during his commentary. However, he did mention concerns about running out of ballots at Milwaukee polling stations during the state’s hotly contested Supreme Court election due to unexpectedly high voter turnout.
After the meeting, Spindell emphasized to reporters the necessity for an investigation into the ballot shortage, labeling it as “very, very bad judgment.” He argued this issue was of higher importance than the uncounted Madison ballots, accusing Jacobs of blocking an inquiry to shield Democratic election officials in Milwaukee.
Jacobs countered, accusing Spindell of consistently hijacking meetings with off-topic matters. She remarked that investigations should have tangible goals beyond “whining, complaining and conspiracy theories.” The confrontation underscores ongoing tensions within the commission, reflecting broader partisan divides.