MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin elections officials declared Thursday that the former clerk of the state’s capital city broke several laws related to not counting nearly 200 absentee ballots in the November presidential election, but they stopped short of recommending criminal charges be brought.
The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 5-1 to accept a report finding that the former Madison clerk broke five election laws. The commission delayed a vote on ordering the city of Madison to take additional steps to improve election security.
No outcome of any race was affected by the missing ballots. Maribeth Witzel-Behl resigned as Madison city clerk in April amid investigations into the missing ballots.
The investigation was not a criminal probe and the elections commission does not have the power to bring charges. The report does not recommend that prosecutors do so.
There is no intention to refer the case to prosecutors for possible charges,