In a significant development for Madison, Wisconsin, the city’s municipal clerk, Maribeth Witzel-Behl, has resigned amid ongoing probes into her handling of absentee ballots during the November elections. The office of Madison’s Mayor, Satya Rhodes-Conway, officially announced Witzel-Behl’s resignation on Monday. Dylan Brogan, a spokesperson for the mayor, revealed that Witzel-Behl had tendered her resignation the previous Thursday. However, the mayor delayed the public announcement due to contract terms which allowed Witzel-Behl a grace period to reconsider her decision.
The catalyst for this resignation was an investigation initiated by the Wisconsin Elections Commission. In early January, the commission began scrutinizing the actions of Witzel-Behl following the revelation that she had neglected to count 192 absentee ballots. Alarmingly, this oversight was not communicated to the commission until December 18, well over a month after the election concluded and subsequent canvassing had taken place.
While the uncounted ballots did not alter the results of any electoral races or referendums, the incident sparked further complications. Four Madison voters have lodged claims for damages, each seeking $175,000 from both the city and Dane County. This legal action serves as a precursor to potential litigation against the entities involved. This isn’t the first controversy faced by Witzel-Behl; earlier in September, she disclosed that her office mistakenly issued up to 2,000 duplicate absentee ballots.
In light of these events, the mayor suspended Witzel-Behl in March and initiated an internal investigation, underscoring the necessity of restoring public trust in the election process. Brogan mentioned that this internal review has concluded and anticipates that a detailed report will be publicly available by the end of April. Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Elections Commission plans to deliberate on the findings of its investigation in an upcoming meeting on Thursday.
In the interim, City Attorney Mike Haas has been functioning as the provisional city clerk following Witzel-Behl’s suspension. Under his temporary leadership, the April 1 spring election has reportedly proceeded without any significant issues, suggesting a semblance of stability has returned to the city’s electoral management.