Madison City Clerk Placed on Leave Three Weeks Before Spring Election

MADISON, Wis. (WMDX) – Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl has been placed on administrative leave due to the investigation into uncounted ballots. 

After the November election, staff from the clerk’s office found sealed absentee ballots that were not counted. Another batch was later found, totaling 193 ballots that weren’t counted. According to reports from the mayor’s office and the Wisconsin Elections Commission, the clerk didn’t tell anyone outside her office until nearly a month later. 

The Wisconsin Elections Commission opened an investigation. Commissioners have the power to determine Witzel-Behl acted improperly, or even illegally. 

“They find a sealed bag of ballots on November 12, they don’t open it even until November 13. And then close it back up, and they don’t do anything with it until November 26,” Commission Chair Ann Jacobs said during their March 7 meeting. “What on earth is going on for two weeks? And we don’t know the answer to that.” 

The Commission decided to continue their investigation. The next phase will include having city staff sit for depositions, which will undoubtedly include Witzel-Behl.

Meanwhile, the Madison mayor’s office is doing its own investigation. In that process, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway announced WItzel-Behl is now on paid administrative leave. 

“Given the nature of the issues being investigated, we felt this was a necessary step to maintain public confidence in the operations of our Clerk’s office,” Rhodes-Conway said in a statement. 

Madison City Attorney Michael Haas will act as interim city clerk. He was once the Administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, the highest elections office in the state.

“I am completely confident in the ability of the highly trained, incredibly competent professional staff at the Clerk’s Office to continue the operations of the office without interruption, including conducting the upcoming spring primary election,” Haas said. 

Rhodes-Conway said they’ll be allocating extra staff to the clerk’s office to ensure they have extra sets of hands. She said they will 

She will allocate additional staff to the clerk’s office… to make sure they have extra sets of hands. She said they will “spare no city resource” to ensure every vote is counted April 1. 

The mayor says they will quote “spare no city resource” to make sure every vote is counted on April 1.