Green Bay city council members asking for audit of election procedures

Voters cast their ballots Nov. 2, 2022, at Green Bay City Hall, six days before the midterm election. PC: Fox 11 Online

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Two Green Bay alders are asking the City Council to approve an “independent operational audit” of city election administration procedures.

The petition comes the day after the Wisconsin Elections Commission voted to investigate the Green Bay clerk’s office after duplicate absentee ballots were sent out for the April and August elections. Green Bay Clerk Celestine Jeffreys was then placed on administrative leave.

According to the agenda item for Monday’s Protection & Policy Committee, Ald. Melinda Eck and Ald. Jennifer Grant submitted the resolution.

It cites the issues with the absentee ballots and the WEC investigation.

“An independent operational review will assist the City in identifying procedural deficiencies, evaluating existing safeguards, and recommending improvements designed to prevent future administrative errors,” the proposal states.

It lists six items to be included:

1. A review of absentee ballot request processing procedures.
2. A review of quality assurance and internal controls intended to prevent duplicate ballot issuance.
3. An evaluation of election management software, data management practices, and staff procedures affecting absentee ballot administration.
4. A review of corrective actions implemented following previous duplicate absentee ballot incidents.
5. Recommendations for improvements to policies, procedures, staffing, training, and internal controls.
6. A determination of whether additional safeguards should be adopted before future elections.

Click here for the full resolution.

The committee meets at 4 p.m. Monday in room 207 of City Hall, 100 N. Jefferson Street.

The city has admitted it sent out 152 duplicate ballots for the April election. The city is “reasonably certain” 244 extra ballots were recently sent out for the August election, according to an email from the city attorney to city council members.

The WEC’s decision requires Green Bay to submit a detailed explanation by July 31 on how only one ballot will be tabulated for the electors who were mailed two ballots. Jeffreys also must submit by Aug. 14 a plan to ensure duplicate ballots are not sent out again, and a detailed explanation by July 31 of how the duplicate ballots error occurred for the April and August elections.

Jeffreys has previously said these were printing errors and only one ballot per eligible voter was counted.