Recall Elections: Waukesha County Tampering

Following is the statement of Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate following evidence of election tampering in the 8th State Senate District race.

"The race to determine control of the Wisconsin Senate has fallen in the hands of the Waukesha County clerk, who has already distinguished herself as incompetent, if not worse. She is once more tampering with the results of a consequential election and in the next hours we will determine our next course of action. For now, Wisconsin should know that a dark cloud hangs over these important results."

As reported earlier, Waukesha County is delaying the reporting of their vote counts until tomorrow for no given reason. 100% of all of the other 5 districts have reported their results. You may remember Waukesha County and Kathy Nicholaus who just happened to lose and then later find enough votes to give the election to the Republican-backed David Prosser in the April Wisconsin Supreme Court race. State Senator Jon Erpenbach told Rachel Maddow on MSNBC tonight that "Waukesha County should have been one of the first counties reporting."

A video of Democratic Party of Wisconsin Spokesman Graeme Zielinski accusing Kathy Nicholaus of tampering with the election has been posted to YouTube.

"This contest has been tampered with by Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nicholaus. We believe that we were up. The Associated Press had us up. She is sitting on votes. We believe right now there are severe irregularities in Waukesha County. Once again, we believe that the very fate of the Wisconsin Senate right now hangs in the balance and is in the hands of a woman who has already shown extreme incompetence and maybe more. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin believes that Kathy Nicholaus is tampering with this election. She is sitting on votes. Our models, our returns, our results show us ahead in this election, this important election, the election that will determine control of the Wisconsin Senate, and we believe that Kathy Nicholaus, a Waukesha Republican and former staffer to Assembly Republicans, who has shown gross incompetence and maybe more in the Supreme Court election is at it again. We believe there are dirty tricks at foot. We believe an investigation is needed, or at least a very good explanation for what looks like she's doing to this election. We'll wait and we'll see what transpires the rest of the night. We might not have any more statements right now. Of course our legal team is exploring all of our legal options right now. We're getting as best information as we can, but right now I can say that it's our belief that the election that will determine control of the Senate is being tampered with."

Update: (12:51pm) Waukesha County has now fully reported, shortly after telling the press they wouldn't fully report results tonight, and the AP has called the race for Alberta "Walker's" Darling. The events late this evening are quite mysterious, but from the Dems latest statement, they won't be pursing an investigation. The Wisconsin Wave is calling for people to be ready to mobilize Wednesday for possible issues in Waukesha County.

Recall Elections: Waukesha County Suspiciously Withholding Election Results

Ed Schultz on MSNBC is reporting that Waukesha County has told reporters that they are withholding their election results until tomorrow. Waukesha County is part of the heated district race between Sandy Pasch and Alberta Darling. John Nichols told Ed that there is no reason for such a delay and that Waukesha County should be able to report as quickly as everyone else.

You may remember Waukesha County and Kathy Nicholaus who just happened to lose and then later find enough votes to give the election to the Republican-backed David Prosser in the April Wisconsin Supreme Court race. This BS was supposed to be resolved after that election, but apparently Wisconsin and the GAB are happy to have a flaky and untrustworthy County Clerk in Kathy Nicholaus. State Senator Jon Erpenbach told Rachel Maddow tonight that "Waukesha County should have been one of the first counties reporting" and is now an issue.

Ed said that several sources have told him this may lead to an investigation to protect the integrity of our elections, and I hope it does. Ed also reported that Democrat Chair Mike Tate has issued a statement saying that Kathy Nicholaus "is tampering with our elections," and they will plan their response in the next hour.

Updated: (11:23pm) Ed Schultz reported that Waukesha County is now telling reporters they won't provide results until some time tomorrow. The delay was originally reported to be one hour. More info here.

Wisconsin GAB Wrote Erroneous Software For Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus

Milwaukee News Buzz reports that the computer program that caused Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus to erroneously report vote counts for the Wisconsin Supreme Court election was written by the Government Accountability Board. This fact alone puts into question the impartiality of the investigation into Waukesha County's election issues by the GAB. They can't properly investigate their own software.

Not only was the GAB program written poorly, but the GAB has refused to provide details on the computer program. The GAB cannot be expected to impartially investigate Waukesha County and its election systems. The GAB should publicly post the source code for the software, since Wisconsin owns it, but they won't even tell us more than Nickolaus has. It's clear that the GAB should not be in charge of investigating elections, and their refusal to provide further details is particularly concerning.

I'm out of new ideas as to how we can get an impartial investigation. One Wisconsin Now is still collecting names for their petition for a separate bipartisan investigation. However, contacting your government representatives and the press will probably be most effective.

People better start talking because Wisconsin is sick of the secrets in what are supposedly open and transparent elections!

JoAnne Kloppenburg Officially Requests A Recount and Full Investigation In Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

WisPolitics reports that the Government Accountability Board says the Kloppenburg campaign has officially requested a statewide recount.

Kloppenburg announced the request at about 4pm to very loud sustaining cheers and "thank you"s. She's also asking for a full investigation into Waukesha County.

Kloppenburg said there are "widespread anomalies and questions within Waukesha County and across the state." She listed the cities of Milwaukee and Racine as well as Waukesha County. She also mentioned issues with "long lines, photo-copied ballots" and the vote counts in the city of Fond du Lac and Winnebago County. Kloppenburg said these issues "necessitate a statewide recount," adding, "Wisconsin deserves to know the election was legitimate."

"A recount will have shined a necessary and appropriate light on an election that to so many people appears suspect."

Kloppenburg addressed the Prosser campaign saying that a recount is "frivolous" by saying, "My opponents don't want a recount and that surprises me. A recount benefits everybody." She later said, "It's called American democracy."

"If there is doubt we must remove it."

"Going forward we must make sure" there must be real change in the elections in Waukesha County. "We must have a full investigation by a trained independent investigator."

The Kloppenburg campaign is questioning certain communications between the GAB and the Waukesha County Clerk's office. They have submitted those communications to the GAB.

Kloppenburg responded to questions about the Prosser campaign saying a recount is "frivolous" by saying, "The Prosser campaign made threats."

To questions that the unions or anyone else has asked Kloppenburg to do this, she said it was "her decision" and "other people have tried to [stick] her with the unions." Kloppenburg reiterated that she has been an independent throughout the campaign and looks at the facts when making decisions. She said she "has been consistent throughout that we need to do what the law says. And the law says we need a recount."

The reactions and statements from the two campaigns in the last week clearly show who's the more careful, thoughtful, and reasoned candidate - qualities one looks for in a judge.

Thank you, JoAnne Kloppenburg, and everyone who worked to bring out the truth in this election!

You can donate to the Kloppenburg campaign's fund for recount efforts on their website.

Please forgive me if my quotes aren't exact.

Update: (5:34pm) Prosser has responded, and they're clearly afraid of the public finding out the truth, calling the recount a pursuit of a "nakedly political goal." I'm sorry, but "vigorously" preventing a recount in this situation, as Prosser says he plans to do, is a "nakedly political goal."

"Justice Prosser’s recount team will work diligently in the weeks and months ahead to protect the votes of Wisconsin citizens at the same time Ms. Kloppenburg’s campaign works to take them away." What do they mean by "take them away"? No one is looking to take any votes away, that is unless they aren't real votes.

"And now, ironically, less than 24 hours after the Government Accountability Board concluded that the April 5th canvass in Waukesha County was correct, she today insists that it needs further examination."

The GAB has NOT concluded their investigation! It appears they issued the early statement so that the deadline to request a recount wouldn't need to be extended. Their short statement shows how much more remains to be done.

Also, for those who don't think tax payer money should be spent to find out the truth, you had your chance to demand answers from Kathy Nickolaus and you declined. Now we have to find out the truth ourselves. This is on Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus.

Update: (5:50pm) The video of Kloppenburg's announcement is well worth your time and can be found at WISN and on YouTube.

Update: (April 21, 1:46am) There are reports that Prosser "sent a heckler and two fake reporters" to the Kloppenburg announcement to "challenge her with loaded questions." I'm not sure how factual the reports linking them to Prosser are at this point.

The Journal Sentinel is reporting that the Kloppenburg campaign believes Prosser met with Governor Scott Walker the day after the election.

"And in her complaint seeking a probe of Nickolaus, Kloppenburg alleges Prosser had a one-on-one meeting with Republican Gov. Scott Walker on the day after the election - an explosive charge in an officially nonpartisan race where the candidates questioned each other's claims of political independence.

The next day, Walker's administration asked the Supreme Court to quickly get involved in a Dane County case that has blocked implementation of Walker's controversial plan to sharply limit collective bargaining for public employees.

Melissa Mulliken, Kloppenburg's campaign manager, said she had been in touch with two or three people with knowledge of a Prosser-Walker meeting, including at least one who observed Prosser entering the meeting."

The article also states that the GAB is requesting "permission to clear the memory devices on some voting machines." Who in their right mind thinks this is a good idea?! No erasing! Get new memory devices or do a hand recount. We cannot erase evidence.

Update: (April 21, 10:23am) WisPolitics has published documents relating to Kloppenburg's request for a full investigation of Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus here.

Kloppenburg Must Request A Recount In Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

It shouldn't have come to this, but since we're not sure exactly what happened in Waukesha County, it's a step towards getting some answers. People are rallying around the Capitol right now to show JoAnne Kloppenburg we support her. Anyone who says a recount is not warranted in this situation clearly wants to keep information from the public. This isn't just a case of possibly finding a few votes here and there. If serious discrepancies are found with the vote counts from Waukesha County, Kloppenburg could turn out to be just as far in the lead as Prosser appears now.

I have a strong feeling that we will find some serious discrepancies, criminal or not.

Our scrutiny shouldn't end with Waukesha County. The error causing the missing votes could have been an honest mistake, but it's shown us how easily our elections can be skewed by those who run them. We need to look deep into every county in Wisconsin with the same diligence as we do in Waukesha County.

You can still make your voice heard on this issue. Here are some easy and effective ways.

Update: (3:43pm) According to the State Journal, Kloppenburg will make an announcement regarding her decision to request a recount at 4pm.

Update: (3:52pm) The State Journal is tweeting that the GAB says Kloppenburg has officially requested a recount. I'll make a separate post when there's something more official to cite.

Update: (4:37pm) Info on the announcement is here. Short summary: Kloppenburg requesting statewide recount and full investigation.

Government Accountability Board Finds Few More Anomalies With Waukesha County - Still Investigating

Today, the Government Accountability Board announced that after speaking with Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus and reviewing documents, they have found only a few more minor anomalies with the 2011 vote count in Waukesha County. However, the report says, "The G.A.B. will continue to review additional documentation and correspondence from the Waukesha County and Municipal Clerks' offices relating to all issues identified for investigation." So, it doesn't appear as though they have completed their investigation. They say a more "detailed report will be completed in the next 60 days."

Since the GAB's investigation into the vote counts in Waukesha County has barely touched the surface and they won't look at the actual ballots, none of us can be sure at this point that all of the numbers are correct. We have more than enough reason to suspect that votes in Waukesha County could have easily been lost or changed. There's so much reason that the decision to request a recount shouldn't be based on the latest vote counts without a full bipartisan investigation. However, it seems we're on that path.

Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus should have given us many more details by now out of duty to her office, and that's why I've called for her resignation. We should be able to trust a county clerk's word, and if there are doubts, such a clerk should be willing to help us understand. We can't have open and transparent elections when county clerks behave as Nickolaus has.

I put together a bit of a timeline of the events after Nickolaus's press conference here.

Yesterday, the Prosser campaign said that they plan to "vigorously" prevent any recount, even though they were previously open to a recount. Prosser is only ahead now because of the controversial vote counts from Waukesha County. So it's imperative that we express our doubts and get answers now.

Here are some easy and effective ways you can do that:

Tens of thousands of Wisconsinites have already signed a petition for a bipartisan investigation into the vote counts in Waukesha County started by One Wisconsin Now. I urge you to add your name to the petition here and tell your friends and family about our request for a bipartisan and impartial investigation.

Wisconsinites can file a complaint with the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board regarding issues with the processes and security of the Waukesha County election system, the delayed explanation we were given for the missing votes, and Nickolaus's refusal to give a clear explanation for over a week. The GAB has a complaint form here: http://gab.wi.gov/node/1282. The election official in this case is Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus.

You can join the wave of rallies across Wisconsin happening every day. Wisconsin Wave is a non-partisan effort to unite Wisconsinites together in support of democracy, workers' rights and other fundamental Wisconsin values. They have a list of their events here. Many other events are listed at Defend Wisconsin. There are probably many other events not included in those two lists, but they're good places to start.

We must demand real solutions to problems with our elections. Unlike pseudo-solutions such as the Voter Distraction Bill (Senate Bill 6), which requires an ID to vote and only seeks to stifle valid voters, there are solutions that would noticeably improve our elections.

The most important thing you can do right now is help us push Kathy Nickolaus to answer our relevant questions before the recount deadline. Spread the word. Tell your friends and family about the questions you have, why you think Nickolaus should answer those questions before a recount is conducted, and how they can help. Contact the press and your state representatives, and demand a clear explanation before a recount.

Contacting the press may prove to be most effective, and Facebook and Twitter are effective as well, so don't forget them.

Finally, don't forget to email Scott Walker, because I'm sure he'll tell us how many supporters have emailed him: govgeneral@wisconsin.gov. All you need is a brief message stating that you don't have confidence in the vote counts from Waukesha County and a full bipartisan investigation should be conducted.

Rinse and repeat as necessary.

Time is of the essence.

Latest Info On Wisconsin Supreme Court Election - Prosser Attempting To Squash Democracy

According to WisPolitics, tweets by the State Journal, and a TPM article, the Prosser campaign plans to "vigorously" block any effort for a recount, even though they were previously open to a recount. Now I'm extremely skeptical, we need answers now! This is an attempt to squash democracy in its clearest form!

I also keep getting asked what's the latest information on the Supreme Court election and the vote count in Waukesha County. So I decided I would write a post with all of the latest news. The short answer is nothing.

Here's what I know at this point:

• The latest vote counts can be found here.
• Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus still hasn't clarified her explanation for the missing votes that she gave during the press conference on April 7th.
• The day after Nickolaus's press conference, U.S. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate the vote count in Waukesha County. The request is being reviewed.
• Two days after the press conference, One Wisconsin Now began collecting signatures for a petition to request a bipartisan investigation. In less than 48 hours they had collected over 10,000 signatures. You can sign the petition here.
• Last week Monday (4/11), the Waukesha County Canvass Board member who is the only non-Republican member and has been used to legitimatize the vote counts, Ramona Kitzinger, wrote a statement saying that she "was never shown anything that would verify Kathy's statement about the missing vote" and she told Nickolaus that she doesn't "understand anything about computers."
• Later that day, the Government Accountability Board Director Kevin Kennedy told WisPolitics they didn't at that point see "any criminal activity." WisPolitics added that the GAB is in the "process of matching those numbers for all Waukesha County wards." I note that criminal activity in this situation can be very difficult if not impossible to detect, and the GAB is not looking at the ballots.
• Wednesday, nine state Democrats wrote a letter to the Republican chairs of the Elections and Judiciary committees asking those committees to investigate Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus. There's been no response that I'm aware of.
• Thursday, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin asked the GAB to investigate the vote counts in Waukesha County going back to at least 2006. The GAB then confirmed they are investigating election results from that county going back at least five years.
• All of the counties finished their canvass last week Friday with Prosser in the lead only by using the controversial new vote counts from Waukesha County.
• The GAB hasn't completed their investigation into Waukesha County's vote counts yet.
• Kloppenburg has until Wednesday at 5pm to request a recount, and nothing specific has come out of that campaign that I'm aware of.
• The Prosser campaign won't comment on the vote count in Waukesha County even though they're demanding there be no recount and will "vigorously" prevent any attempt. Prosser's a Wisconsin Supreme Court Judge, but he says he has no position on the matter. It sounds like Prosser needs more information about the missing votes before drawing a reasoned conclusion, too. However, then it's absolutely wrong to claim there's no need for a recount.
• Tuesday (4/19), the GAB issued a statement saying that they see no major discrepancies in the 2011 vote counts from Waukesha County and only a few more minor anomalies have been found thus far, but they're still continuing their investigation. I note that there are still many ways the vote counts could differ from the actual counts for which the GAB hasn't looked into.
• Wednesday, JoAnne Kloppenburg announced her request for a statewide recount and a full investigation, citing many unanswered questions and unresolved issues with the election.

Considering this was a non-partisan election, it's sad that more Republicans aren't asking for clarification so that we can determine and fix the issues in Waukesha County. I'd be demanding answers no matter what, because I know our elections have issues and I would like them solved. Instead, the Republicans in the State Senate are trying to quietly pass the Voter Distraction Bill (SB6) to spend lots of money to try to fix a near non-issue in our elections, voter fraud (more below).

Prosser's right, we shouldn't have to pay for a recount to get answers, and we shouldn't base a recount on controversial vote counts. So we need clarification now. However, it's absolutely wrong to prevent a candidate from executing a recount when there's so much doubt surrounding the one thing preventing that candidate from winning.


Tens of thousands of Wisconsinites have already signed a petition for a bipartisan investigation into the vote counts in Waukesha County started by One Wisconsin Now. I urge you to add your name to the petition here and tell your friends and family about our request for a bipartisan and impartial investigation.

I implore you to help fix the issues with the election system in Waukesha County, and Wisconsin as a whole, by demanding clarification now. Here are some easy and effective ways to help get that clarification.

We must demand real solutions to problems with our elections. Unlike pseudo-solutions such as the Voter Distraction Bill (Senate Bill 6), which requires an ID to vote and only seeks to stifle valid voters, there are solutions that would noticeably improve our elections.

Update: (April 19, 6:31pm) Updated to include the latest statements from the Government Accountability Board.

I also find it interesting that the only two things the Journal Sentinel appears to have left out of this article is the Prosser campaign statements saying they plan to "vigorously" block a recount and the fact that the GAB is continuing their investigation.

Update: (April 21, 8:18am) Added JoAnne Kloppenburg's recount and investigation announcement.

It's Not Clear That Prosser Has Won Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

There have been many questions surrounding the official vote count provided by Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus. Currently, the Government Accountability Board is investigating the vote counts in Waukesha County for elections going back at least five years, and will not certify the results until they have completed the investigation. The public has no confidence in the count provided by Nickolaus.

The only reason Prosser is ahead now is because of the new numbers from Waukesha County, see the latest count. So, the vote counts in Waukesha County are critical, and we must know the truth. The Government Accountability Board won't certify the numbers until they finish their investigation, but they won't look at the actual ballots. We must demand answers now from Nickolaus before we can reach any reasonable conclusion.

Then, Kathy Nickolaus must resign for refusing to provide us trust and clarity.


Tens of thousands of Wisconsinites have already signed a petition for a bipartisan investigation into the vote counts in Waukesha County started by One Wisconsin Now. I urge you to add your name to the petition here and tell your friends and family about our request for a bipartisan and impartial investigation.

I implore you to help fix the issues with the election system in Waukesha County, and Wisconsin as a whole, by demanding clarification. Here are some easy and effective ways to help get that clarification.

We must demand real solutions to problems with our election systems. Unlike pseudo-solutions such as the Voter Distraction Bill (Senate Bill 6), which requires an ID to vote and only seeks to stifle valid voters, there are solutions that would noticeably improve our elections.

Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus Must Resign

According to WisPolitics, the deadline for JoAnne Kloppenburg to request a recount is three business days from today. Since Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus refused to give us a clear explanation, she must resign. We can't base a large expense such as a recount on such questionable numbers, and it's her duty to make sure we trust her numbers.

Such a simple mistake involving a computer should have been easy for Nickolaus, a computer specialist, to describe so we all can understand. Unfortunately, she has refused to do so, and instead she only gave us confusing bits and pieces of the story. This is not how elections should be run in Wisconsin, and I won't stand for it.

The only reason Prosser is ahead now is because of the new numbers from Waukesha County, see the latest count. So, the vote counts in Waukesha County are critical, and we must know the truth. The Government Accountability Board won't certify the numbers until they finish their investigation in Waukesha County, but they won't look at the actual ballots.

Others have already asked for Nickolaus's resignation because of the error, but I was willing to give Nickolaus the chance to provide us with more clarification. Since she has refused to do so, she must resign. Wisconsin can't trust her to run part of our elections.

Tens of thousands of Wisconsinites have already signed a petition for a bipartisan investigation into the vote counts in Waukesha County started by One Wisconsin Now. I urge you to add your name to the petition here and tell your friends and family about our request for a bipartisan and impartial investigation.

I implore you to help fix the issues with the election system in Waukesha County, and Wisconsin as a whole, by demanding clarification. Here are some easy and effective ways to help get that clarification.

We must demand real solutions to problems with our election systems. Unlike pseudo-solutions such as the Voter Distraction Bill (Senate Bill 6), which requires an ID to vote and only seeks to stifle valid voters, there are solutions that would actually improve our elections.

Final Canvass Complete - Latest Wisconsin Supreme Court Counts With and Without Controversial Counts

Milwaukee County has finished their canvass, but Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus has yet to give us a clear explanation of what occurred in her county. Since it's been well over a week and we still haven't been given a clear explanation, I'm left with no choice but to continue with the clearest picture I can imagine. Again, here's the latest counts in two different scenarios, one assuming the Brookfield votes weren't originally reported and one assuming the Brookfield votes were originally reported.

The counts below are using the counts reported by counties at the completion of their canvass, all can be found at WisPolitics and the Government Accountability Board website. Thanks to the WisPolitics election blog for keeping an updated tally and keeping us informed of corrections. Only counties with a net change are listed below.

These are the original numbers provided by the Associated Press on April 6, 2011.

(In alphabetical order)

Kloppenburg:	740,090
Prosser:	739,886
Kloppenburg up by 204 votes in total

Scenario A: Brookfield votes were missing in original count

(In alphabetical order)

Candidate	Net Gain	Counties
Kloppenburg	483	Brown(1), Buffalo(2), Dane(43), Door(12), Eau Claire(29), Grant(113), Green Lake(1), Iowa(30), Kewaunee(1), Langlade(5), Lincoln(4), Marinette(1), Monroe(2), Pepin(6), Portage(91), Richland(7), Rusk(31), Shawano(64), Sheboygan(1), Vernon(24), Washburn(5), Washington(10)
Prosser	8,003	Adams(2), Burnett(34), Calumet(1), Chippewa(5), Clark(28), Dodge(1), Dunn(5), Green(2), Jefferson(1), Juneau(1), Kenosha(60), Lafayette(10), Milwaukee(11), Outagamie(1), Pierce(1), Sauk(1), Sawyer(2), Taylor(3), Walworth(2), Waukesha(7582), Waupaca(1), Winnebago(244), Wood(5)
Prosser up by 7,316 votes in total

Scenario B: Brookfield votes not missing from original count

(In alphabetical order)

Candidate	Net Gain	Counties
Kloppenburg	483	Brown(1), Buffalo(2), Dane(43), Door(12), Eau Claire(29), Grant(113), Green Lake(1), Iowa(30), Kewaunee(1), Langlade(5), Lincoln(4), Marinette(1), Monroe(2), Pepin(6), Portage(91), Richland(7), Rusk(31), Shawano(64), Sheboygan(1), Vernon(24), Washburn(5), Washington(10)
Prosser	600	Adams(2), Burnett(34), Calumet(1), Chippewa(5), Clark(28), Dodge(1), Dunn(5), Green(2), Jefferson(1), Juneau(1), Kenosha(60), Lafayette(10), Milwaukee(11), Outagamie(1), Pierce(1), Sauk(1), Sawyer(2), Taylor(3), Walworth(2), Waukesha(179), Waupaca(1), Winnebago(244), Wood(5)
Kloppenburg up by 87 votes in total

The latest vote count from Waukesha County must not be considered official until the public knows exactly what happened. The Government Accountability Board is currently investigating the vote counts in Waukesha County and will not certify the votes until complete. So these very well may not be the final numbers, and we must demand answers before they are. The GAB should have been able to verify the numbers in Waukesha County by now if everything "jibed." I'm sick of guessing, we need answers.

We must have clarification from Nickolaus before any recount or investigation. Why spend more tax payer money to try to find answers when it's Nickolaus's duty to provide us with them now? If she doesn't fulfill her duty before a recount must be considered, Nickolaus must resign because we'll never be able to trust her or her competence for that office.

Tens of thousands of Wisconsinites have already signed a petition for a bipartisan investigation into the vote counts in Waukesha County started by One Wisconsin Now. I urge you to add your name to the petition here and tell your friends and family about our request for a bipartisan and impartial investigation.

I implore you to help fix the issues with the election system in Waukesha County, and Wisconsin as a whole, by demanding clarification. Here are some easy and effective ways to help get that clarification.

We must demand real solutions to problems with our election systems. Unlike pseudo-solutions such as the Voter Distraction Bill (Senate Bill 6), which requires an ID to vote and only seeks to stifle valid voters, there are solutions that would actually improve our elections.

Milwaukee County Pledges To Finish Canvass Friday

According to WisPolitics, Milwaukee County, the last county in Wisconsin that hasn't completed their canvass, has pledged to finish tomorrow. Today, the Wisconsin Democrats announced that they have asked the Government Accountability Board to investigate the Waukesha County vote totals from the 2006 election as well, and Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus has yet to give us a clear explanation of what occurred in her county last week. The latest vote count from Waukesha County must not be considered official until the public knows exactly what happened.

We must have clarification from Kathy Nickolaus before any recount or investigation. Why spend more tax payer money to try to find answers when it's Nickolaus's duty to provide us with them now? If she doesn't fulfill her duty before a recount must be considered by a candidate, Nickolaus must resign because we'll never be able to trust her or her competence for that office.

The latest vote counts can be found here. Many of the important issues in Waukesha County may be swept under the table once Milwaukee County finishes their canvass. So, it's vitally important that we demand answers now and express our doubts with the vote counts from Waukesha County. It's our duty as citizens of Wisconsin.

Tens of thousands of Wisconsinites have already signed a petition for a bipartisan investigation into the vote counts in Waukesha County started by One Wisconsin Now. I urge you to add your name to the petition here and tell your friends and family about our request for a bipartisan and impartial investigation.

I implore you to help fix the issues with the election system in Waukesha County, and Wisconsin as a whole, by demanding clarification. Here are some easy and effective ways to help get that clarification.

We must demand real solutions to problems with our election systems. Unlike pseudo-solutions such as the Voter Distraction Bill (Senate Bill 6), which requires an ID to vote and only seeks to stifle valid registered voters, there are solutions that would actually improve our elections.

The Wisconsin Voter Distraction Bill - Senate Bill 6

There are some very real issues with how elections are run in Waukesha County. Other counties in Wisconsin probably have some of the same or other issues. However, Wisconsin Senate Bill 6, the Voter Distraction Bill, won't fix any of them.

We must demand real solutions to problems with our elections. Unlike pseudo-solutions such as requiring an ID to vote, there are solutions that would actually improve our elections. Requiring an ID to vote is extremely expensive and provably not a solution to a very minor issue, it only seeks to stifle valid voters. I'm of course referring to Wisconsin Senate Bill 6. The most critical issue is counting votes right the first time. Years of investigation have shown that voter fraud is not a serious issue, and this bill wouldn't have prevented the very few recent cases of voter fraud in Wisconsin. There are much more effective ways to spend our money to improve our elections than this bill.

The prevalent issues in Waukesha County involve the computer election system, and there are serious and relevant issues with all of the election systems in Wisconsin. Using our election system as an example, Bruce Schneier, a world-renowned security expert, described some of the very real issues with elections after questions over election security in 2004. A more recent essay by Schneier describes an election in 2006 similar to the current one in Waukesha County, a 386-vote margin with 18,000 lost votes due to computer error. The only way we can avoid situations like the one in Waukesha County is to demand more transparency in our elections through open election systems. A non-profit organization that has been successful in these efforts is the Open Voting Consortium (I don't know them or have any affiliation).

From now on, or until someone comes up with a better name, I strongly believe the Wisconsin Senate Bill 6 should be referred to as the "Voter Distraction Bill," because this bill doesn't address the very real issues with elections in Waukesha County and other counties in Wisconsin. At the very least the bill is a distraction. However, the GAB estimates it will cost them over two million dollars and was unable to determine the cost to local governments, saying local governments would bare "the brunt of the cost." That puts the estimated costs of implementing the bill at well over four million dollars, much of which will be recurring. The costs required to implement and enforce the bill far outweigh its benefits, and the difficulties it adds to valid registered voters are simply un-Wisconsin. The bill is far worse than a distraction, but the Voter Distraction Bill is the simplest, most explanatory name I could come up with.

The bill is quietly being rushed through the Senate. I expect Republicans will incorrectly use the issues with the Waukesha County election system as evidence that the Voter Distraction Bill is needed, if they aren't already. They will make the bill law very soon, and legally this time, unless we loudly demand otherwise.

Common Cause will be holding a public forum in Kenosha to talk about issues such as these Monday, April 18. If you haven't read the essays from Bruce Schneier, please do, they're factual and very informative. You can find his eight essays and op-eds on election security here. Wisconsin must kill the Voter Distraction Bill, too.

The next bill regarding elections in Wisconsin better have some real solutions to major issues.

(I think it's important that we call this bill what it is. "Voter ID" or "Voter Photo ID" are not good names for this bill, because the bill doesn't specifiy creating a "voter ID" as the names imply.)

Update: (April 21, 4:17am) As another example of a real issue with our computer election systems, the GAB may ask a court to allow some counties to irreversibly clear the data on voting system memory cards before the recount, destroying evidence. From the GAB,

"We are receiving information from some county clerks who use prom packs with tabulating equipment for their voting systems, and they report that they are unable to get sufficient additional prom packs from their respective vendors to conduct the recount, while at the same time preserving and retaining intact the Election Day prom packs.

...This may mean getting judicial permission to clear memory devices for reuse during the recount"

This is absolutely unacceptable.

You Can Help Fix Waukesha County, Here Are Some Ways

Update: (9:55am) The Wisconsin Democrats just announced they have asked the Government Accountability Board to investigate the Waukesha County vote totals from the 2006 election as well. So, we're making progress, but we need to keep it up. The original post is below.

Tens of thousands of Wisconsinites have signed a petition requesting a bipartisan investigation into the Waukesha County vote count. You can sign it too, and I urge you to do so. However, there are many other effective ways you can help fix Waukesha County, and I implore you to do so now.

We need a clear explanation of Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus's "common human error" without spending any more tax payer money. Nickolaus must answer our questions now before we can reasonably consider all of the vote counts official and before anyone can begin to consider a recount. It's Nickolaus's duty to her office, because whether a recount is needed and how much it'll cost Wisconsin depend upon the issues in Waukesha County. If she doesn't fulfill her duty before a recount must be considered, Nickolaus must resign because we'll never be able to trust her or her competence for that office.

If you are unfamiliar with the relevant issues involving the vote counts in Waukesha County, a Google search will turn up loads of results, Ramona Kitzinger, the only non-Republican member of the Waukesha County Board of Canvassers described some issues here, and I described some issues here as well. I also felt compelled to post quite extensively on the topic.

We the people of Wisconsin know so very little information about the vote counting process and election system in Waukesha County. We don't know for sure that other votes haven't been lost, or that votes were never lost to begin with. We must demand answers whether we live in Waukesha County or any other county in Wisconsin and whether we're Republicans, Democrats or independents, because counting votes right the first time is critical. The results from our computer election systems affect everything that happens after an election, and we need to make sure they're accurate, secure, and used properly.

But it's Nickolaus's duty to provide us with the needed information without us asking for an investigation or a recount.

The latest vote counts can be found here. Milwaukee County is the only county that hasn't completed their canvass. Many of the important issues in Waukesha County may be swept under the table once Milwaukee County finishes their canvass. We thought Milwaukee County would finish earlier this week, but according to WisPolitics they're expected to finish Thursday. So, it's vitally important that we demand answers now and express our doubts with the vote counts from Waukesha County. It's our duty as citizens of Wisconsin.

Here are some other effective things you can do besides signing the petition:

Even if you don't live in Wisconsin, you can help us demand U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder investigate the vote counts in Waukesha County. U.S. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin already sent a letter to Holder on April 8 requesting an investigation. National focus on the issues in Waukesha County could help get some answers. So giving Wisconsin some more attention is much appreciated.

We must demand real solutions to problems with our election systems, unlike requiring an ID to vote which is provably not a solution to a very minor issue, it only seeks to stifle valid voters. A world-renowned security expert, Bruce Schneier, described some of the very real issues with election systems after questions over election security during the 2004 elections. A more recent essay by Schneier describes a situation much like the current one in Waukesha County, a 386-vote margin with 18,000 lost votes due to computer error. The only way we can avoid situations like the one in Waukesha County is to demand more transparency in our elections through open election systems. A non-profit organization that has been successful in these efforts is the Open Voting Consortium (I don't know them or have any affiliation).

Wisconsinites can file a complaint with the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board regarding issues with the processes and security of the Waukesha County election system, the delayed explanation we were given for the missing votes, and Nickolaus's refusal to give a clear explanation for over a week. The GAB has a complaint form here: http://gab.wi.gov/node/1282. The election official in this case is Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus.

You can join the wave of rallies across Wisconsin happening every day. Wisconsin Wave is a non-partisan effort to unite Wisconsinites together in support of democracy and other fundamental Wisconsin values. They have a list of their events here. Many other events are listed at Defend Wisconsin. There are probably many other events not included in those two lists, but they're good places to start.

The most important thing you can do right now is help us push Kathy Nickolaus to answer our relevant questions before all of the vote counts are considered official. Spread the word. Tell your friends and family about the questions you have, why you think Nickolaus should answer those questions before all of the vote counts are considered official, and how they can help. Contact the press and your state representatives, and demand a clear explanation before the counts are considered official.

Contacting the press may prove to be most effective, and Facebook and Twitter are effective as well, so don't forget them. Rinse and repeat as necessary.

Time is of the essence.

Deafening Silence - Latest Wisconsin Supreme Court Counts With and Without Controversial Counts

The silence is deafening. It's been very troubling that Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus has refused to provide a clear explanation of the error involving nearly 15,000 missing votes for more than a week, and I think it's crucial that Wisconsinites demand Nickolaus answer our questions now. Nickolaus must answer the relevant questions that many people, including the press, have asked before all of the vote counts are considered official. The Democratic member of the Waukesha County Board of Canvassers asked some questions here, and I asked some other questions that I believe are critical here. However, Nickolaus's only statement since the press conference has been to say that she declines to resign. Clearly, we must continue to pound away, demanding even louder that our questions be answered, because we're not getting through.

Regardless of the outcome of the election, we want to know that our elections are open, transparent and secure. Many of our questions get right to the heart of that desire. We need to know how our election systems work and that they're secure, because these computer systems are the final word. The only thing that trumps them is a recount, but recounts depend upon the original outcome. Even the amount of money that a recount will cost depends upon the results from these computer systems, and recounts tend to just make things worse. Counting votes right the first time is crucial. So, the answers should matter to you whether you live in Waukesha County or any other county in Wisconsin and whether you're a Republican, Democrat or independent.

We can't wait for a recount to try to find the answers. We the people of Wisconsin know so very little information at this point. So how do we know for sure that other votes haven't been lost, or that votes were never lost to begin with? Any missing votes could be the difference between needing a recount as well as how much a recount will cost Wisconsin tax payers. However, once all of the vote counts are considered official, the recount process will begin based on those counts. So, we need to know exactly what happened in Waukesha County before we can consider the counts official.

We shouldn't need to ask for an investigation to get answers to relevant questions regarding an election system. The Government Accountability Board shouldn't need to go to Waukesha County, and we shouldn't need a recount in Waukesha County to get answers. Our elections must be open and transparent, we deserve to know exactly how mistakes occur, but these questions should be answered now by Nickolaus in duty to her office. Anything less will cost Wisconsin and Waukesha County tax payers more.

We probably won't get a true answer to our questions from an investigation or a recount. Both processes take a lot of time and money, and both processes involve other people trying to determine what Nickolaus could simply tell us. We must demand that Kathy Nickolaus answer our relevant questions now before spending any more tax payer money.

It's Nickolaus's duty to provide us with answers to our simple and relevant questions regarding the election system in Waukesha County and the vote counting process. It's also her duty to clearly explain how mistakes occur. That's why there was a press conference last Thursday. Unfortunately for Wisconsin, Nickolaus didn't clearly explain the mistake, which can be seen by the difficulties the news media has in explaining the mistake in any detail, and we still have many relevant questions regarding Nickolaus's election system and her mistake that she refuses to answer. The openness of our elections depends upon the transparency and openness provided by those who run them.


Since it's been more than a week and we still haven't been given a clear explanation, I'm left with no choice but to continue with the clearest picture I can imagine. Again, here's the latest counts in two different scenarios, one assuming the Brookfield votes weren't originally reported and one assuming the Brookfield votes were originally reported.

There's only one county that has yet to finish their canvass, Milwaukee County. Once Milwaukee County completes their canvass, it's possible some people will consider all of the vote counts official. We thought Milwaukee County might complete their canvass Monday or Tuesday, but they're expected to finish Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.

Once all of the vote counts are considered official, a losing candidate has three business days to request a recount. Even then, the results of a recount depend upon review through the courts. So, as in the 2000 presidential election, one candidate may have truly won, but the court may decide differently or prevent further counting.

These counts are using the official numbers reported by counties at the completion of their canvass, all can be found at WisPolitics. Thanks to the WisPolitics election blog for keeping an updated tally and keeping us informed of corrections. The official counts for Crawford, Kenosha, Oneida, Sauk and Taylor counties have now been added to the GAB website. Counties, besides Milwaukee, not listed below had no net change.

These are the original numbers provided by the Associated Press on April 6, 2011.

(In alphabetical order)

Kloppenburg:	740,090
Prosser:	739,886
Kloppenburg up by 204 votes in total

Scenario A: Brookfield votes were missing in original count

(In alphabetical order)

Candidate	Net Gain	Counties
Kloppenburg	483	Brown(1), Buffalo(2), Dane(43), Door(12), Eau Claire(29), Grant(113), Green Lake(1), Iowa(30), Langlade(5), Lincoln(4), Kewaunee(1), Marinette(1), Monroe(2), Pepin(6), Portage(91), Richland(7), Rusk(31), Shawano(64), Sheboygan(1), Vernon(24), Washburn(5), Washington(10)
Prosser	7,992	Adams(2), Burnett(34), Calumet(1), Chippewa(5), Clark(28), Dodge(1), Dunn(5), Green(2), Jefferson(1), Juneau(1), Kenosha(60), Lafayette(10), Outagamie(1), Pierce(1), Sauk(1), Sawyer(2), Taylor(3), Walworth(2), Waukesha(7582), Waupaca(1), Winnebago(244), Wood(5)
Prosser up by 7,305 votes in total

Scenario B: Brookfield votes not missing from original count

(In alphabetical order)

Candidate	Net Gain	Counties
Kloppenburg	483	Brown(1), Buffalo(2), Dane(43), Door(12), Eau Claire(29), Grant(113), Green Lake(1), Iowa(30), Langlade(5), Lincoln(4), Kewaunee(1), Marinette(1), Monroe(2), Pepin(6), Portage(91), Richland(7), Rusk(31), Shawano(64), Sheboygan(1), Vernon(24), Washburn(5), Washington(10)
Prosser	589	Adams(2), Burnett(34), Calumet(1), Chippewa(5), Clark(28), Dodge(1), Dunn(5), Green(2), Jefferson(1), Juneau(1), Kenosha(60), Lafayette(10), Outagamie(1), Pierce(1), Sauk(1), Sawyer(2), Taylor(3), Walworth(2), Waukesha(179), Waupaca(1), Winnebago(244), Wood(5)
Kloppenburg up by 98 votes in total

Kathy Nickolaus, don't you think a week is long enough for Wisconsin to wait for a clear explanation of your simple and common "human error"?

If you haven't read my questions for Kathy Nickolaus, or the statement from the only non-Republican member of the Waukesha County Board of Canvassers, please do. I believe the answers to our questions should matter to every voter and tax payer in Wisconsin because, as I explained, our computer election systems are the final word in our elections.

A world-renowned security expert, Bruce Schneier, described some of the very real issues with election systems after questions over election security during the 2004 elections. The only way we can avoid situations like the one in Waukesha County is to demand open election systems that give our election systems true transparency. A non-profit organization that has been successful in these efforts is the Open Voting Consortium (I don't know them or have any affiliation).

This is our election, the people of Wisconsin, not Kathy Nickolaus's. It's our duty to demand answers.

If you want to have your voice heard regarding issues with the processes and security of the Waukesha County election system, the delayed explanation we were given for the missing votes, and Nickolaus's refusal to answer further questions, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board has a complaint form here: http://gab.wi.gov/node/1282. The election official in this case is Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus.

One Wisconsin Now is calling for a bipartisan investigation into the vote counts in Waukesha County. More than 10,000 Wisconsinites have signed the petition. You can add your name here, and I urge you to do so. Although, we still need to demand answers now.

You can help push Nickolaus to answer our questions now. Spread the word. Tell your friends and family about the questions you have and why you think Nickolaus should answer those before all of the vote counts are considered official. Contact the press and your state representatives, and demand to have our questions answered before the counts are considered official.

We haven't been loud enough so far. Contacting the press may prove to be most effective, and Facebook and Twitter are effective as well, so don't forget them. Time is of the essence.

Workers' Rights Supporters Must Demand Answers Now

It's been very troubling that the Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus has refused to provide a clear explanation of her error for more than six days, and now I think it's crucial that supporters of workers' rights demand that she answer our questions now. Nickolaus needs to answer the relevant questions that many people have asked before we consider counts official. The Democratic member of the Waukesha County Board of Canvassers asked some questions here, and I asked some other questions that I believe are critical here.

Everyone should loudly demand Nickolaus answer these questions about her election system and her vote counting process before we spend money to try to find their answers. However, supporters of workers' rights have a particular interest in this election, collective bargaining rights and the collective bargaining bill. We know that the outcome of this election could potentially change the collective bargaining bill into the collective bargaining law.

There's only one county that has yet to finish their canvass, Milwaukee County. Once Milwaukee County completes their canvass, it's possible some people will consider all of the vote counts official. We thought Milwaukee County might complete their canvass Monday or Tuesday, but they're expected to finish Wednesday.

Once all of the vote counts are considered official, a losing candidate has three business days to request a recount. Even then, the results of a recount depend upon review through the courts. So, as in the 2000 presidential election, Kloppenburg may have truly won, but the court may decide differently or prevent further counting. The current Wisconsin Supreme Court is expected to decide against collective bargaining rights more than a court with Kloppenburg.

The following is pure speculation, but I think it has some warrant.

Some within the Wisconsin Republicans, made up mostly of people against collective bargaining rights, may know that Kloppenburg won. Since the public knows very little, we don't know if the vote counts from Waukesha County are skewed or not. A recount or investigation could uncover that Kloppenburg won, or they may not. Either way, some of the Republicans could be hoping to wait this controversy out until the counts are considered official and then expect Kloppenburg to request a recount.

However, a recount, which in the end could show that Kloppenburg won, will take a long time, possibly months. I'm not sure what would happen if the recount is ongoing when the collective bargaining bill comes to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, if it does, but my sense is that the current court would take up the case. That means, even if Kloppenburg truly won the election, Prosser may end up deciding cases on the collective bargaining bill.

All that these Republicans would need to do is keep quiet and wait until the counts are considered official. Then there is very little chance that a prolonged recount can be prevented. They know that they may still get at least one thing they want with a recount, even if Kloppenburg is the true winner. The only thing they would need to do to delay, or outright prevent, Kloppenburg's inauguration is keep quiet.

Once the recount starts, many of these questions will be forgotten, and the election system in Waukesha County will probably suffer from it. It may turn out that the Brookfield votes were included in the original count from Waukesha County. Votes may be found in some other city that push Kloppenburg ahead. Who knows what happened, because we have very little information and Nickolaus refuses to provide any more. Either way, no one will think it's a big deal, but Prosser will have already shot down collective bargaining rights.

One question that comes to mind is, why would Nickolaus put her career at such risk? Well, the Secretary of State from the most controversial state in the 2000 presidential election, Katherine Harris, received a political boost from the mess in that state. She became one of Florida's members of the U.S House of Representatives in 2002. So, one might think the same could be done again from a political position in control of vote counts and that such a move isn't as much of a risk, and I believe such a mess could be created without committing fraud.

Whether that speculation is correct or not, it's Nickolaus's duty to provide answers to relevant questions regarding the election before votes are considered official and before any recount. It's our duty to demand those answers now!


If you haven't read my questions for Kathy Nickolaus, or the statement from the only non-Republican member of the Waukesha County Board of Canvassers, please do. I believe the answers to our questions should matter to every voter and tax payer in Wisconsin because, as I explained in that post, our computer election systems are the final word in our elections.

A world-renowned security expert, Bruce Schneier, described some of the very real issues with election systems after questions over election security during the 2004 elections. The only way we can avoid situations like the one in Waukesha County is to demand open election systems that give our elections real transparency. A non-profit organization that has been successful in these efforts is the Open Voting Consortium (I don't know them or have any affiliation).

If you want to have your voice heard regarding the issues with the security and accuracy of the Waukesha County election system, the delayed explanation we were given for the missing votes, and Nickolaus's refusal to answer further questions, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board has a complaint form here: http://gab.wi.gov/node/1282. The election official in this case is Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus.

There are a few other ways you can help push Nickolaus to answer our questions now. Spread the word. Tell your friends and family about the questions you have and why you think Nickolaus should answer those before all of the vote counts are considered official. Contact the press and your state representatives, and demand to have our questions answered before the counts are considered official.

We haven't been loud enough so far. Contacting the press may prove to be most effective, and Facebook and Twitter are effective as well, so don't forget them. Time is of the essence.

Updated: (9:19pm) Some minor edits to the first paragraph and the fifth paragraph from the end to include the statement from the Democratic member of the Waukesha County Board of Canvassers, Ramona Kitzinger.

Updated: (9:38pm) Clarified the first paragraph mentioning the 2000 presidential election.

Updated: (10:45pm) Added talking to friends and family as a way to help push Nickolaus to answer our questions now, and added last paragraph - so I changed the first Updated so that my references to paragraphs still make sense.

It's Six O'Clock, Do You Know Where Your Vote Is?

We all hope our votes are counted, but we can't be sure of that given Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus "forgot to hit save" when entering at least one city. We don't know exactly how many times Nickolaus forgot during the night she said that she "hit save many times all night long." Nickolaus didn't realize she forgot until the next day. We don't even know how many times Nickolaus hit save. So how do we know for sure that other votes haven't been lost, or that votes were never lost to begin with? We can't wait for a recount to try to figure that out. Any missing votes could be the difference between needing a recount as well as how much a recount will cost tax payers.

We, including many news organizations, have been trying to ask these questions and others since the press conference last week Thursday. However, Nickolaus's only statement since has been to say that she declines to resign. Clearly, we must begin questioning louder, because we're not getting through.

It's Nickolaus's duty to provide us with answers to our simple and relevant questions regarding the election system in Waukesha County and the vote counting process. It's also her duty to clearly explain how mistakes occur. That's why there was a press conference last Thursday. Unfortunately for Wisconsin, the simple mistake was not clearly explained, evidenced by the difficulties the news media has in explaining the mistake in detail, and we still have many relevant questions regarding the mistake and Nickolaus's election system that Nickolaus refuses to answer.

If you haven't read my questions for Kathy Nickolaus, please do. I believe their answers should matter to every voter and tax payer in Wisconsin because, as I explain, our computer election systems are the final word in our elections.

We probably won't get a true answer to our questions from an investigation or a recount. Both processes take a lot of time and money, and both processes involve other people trying to determine what Nickolaus could simply tell us. Counting votes right the first time is crucial. Why won't Nickolaus provide us with a clear explanation now, and why has she refused to do so for more than six days?

A world-renowned security expert, Bruce Schneier, described some of the very real issues with election systems after questions over election security during the 2004 elections. The only way we can avoid situations like the one in Waukesha County is to demand open election systems that give our elections real transparency. A non-profit organization that has been successful in these efforts is the Open Voting Consortium (I don't know them or have any affiliation).

If you want to have your voice heard regarding the issues with the Waukesha County election system, the delayed explanation we were given for the missing votes, and Nickolaus's refusal to answer further questions, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board has a complaint form here: http://gab.wi.gov/node/1282. The election official in this case is Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus.

Updated: (6:28pm) Correction, Nickolaus has actually refused to give us a clear explanation of what happened for more than six days, not five.

Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus To Speak

According to the Journal Sentinel, a staff member from the Waukesha County Clerk's office says that Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus will speak this afternoon. Although, no time has been given. This will be an address to watch. We have many important and relevant questions for the clerk, but it's been five days since the original press conference without any further explanation. The facts that computer systems can be changed without any evidence and Kathy Nickolaus worked as a computer specialist are very troubling together with all of these very delayed responses.

In other news, Prosser says that the events in Waukesha County shouldn't give Kloppenburg a reason to recount, and I can't agree more. However, the only reason Prosser is on top is from the missing votes in Waukesha County. We should have heard from Nickolaus long before today, and without threat from investigation or recount. So, unless we get some straight answers, and fast, we do deserve an investigation and a recount. But it's Nickolaus's duty to give us these straight answers without others having to take such measures. The openness of our elections depends upon the transparency and openness provided by those who run them.

If you haven't read my questions for Kathy Nickolaus, please do. I believe their answers should matter to every voter and tax payer in Wisconsin because, as I explain, our computer election systems are the final word in our elections.

A world-renowned security expert, Bruce Schneier, described some of the very real issues with election systems after questions over election security during the 2004 elections. The only way we can avoid situations like the one in Waukesha County is to demand open election systems that give our elections real transparency. A non-profit organization that has been successful in these efforts is the Open Voting Consortium (I don't know them or have any affiliation).

If you want to have your voice heard regarding the issues with the Waukesha County election system and the delayed explanation we were given for the missing votes, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board has a complaint form here: http://gab.wi.gov/node/1282. The election official in this case is Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus.

Update: (4:00pm) Kathy Nickolaus has spoken, sort of. This doesn't even qualify for news. It's time for us to get much louder, or we will never be able to trust Kathy Nickolaus or the results of this election! She must give us the clear explanation we deserved during the original press conference.

The Saga Continues - Latest Wisconsin Supreme Court Counts With and Without Controversial Counts

Today we heard from the Democratic representative from last Thursday evening's press conference in Waukesha County, Ramona Kitzinger, but we still haven't heard from the person in charge of elections in Waukesha County, the Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus. The Government Accountability Board said today that they "certainly see practices that need to be changed to bolster public confidence." Amidst all of the important and relevant questions regarding the significant change in Waukesha County's vote totals, it's very troubling that Nickolaus has refused to provide any answers.

In her statement, Ramona said that Nickolaus didn't mention the error until a meeting to brief Ramona on the upcoming press conference. So she wasn't able to witness the error or its correction, and clearly Nickolaus wasn't telling the full story when she said her process was open and transparent. Ramona added, "In retrospect, it seems both shocking and somewhat appalling there was no mention of discovery of this 15,000 vote 'human error' that ultimately had the potential to tip the balance of an entire statewide election. How is this possible?" Ramona also said she told Nickolaus that she doesn't "understand anything about computers" and she "was never shown anything that would verify Kathy's statement about the missing vote." Ramona was told that she wouldn't be speaking at the Thursday evening press conference, but she was put on the spot with little information regarding the error.

Regardless of the outcome of the election, we want to know that our elections are open, transparent and secure. My questions get right to the heart of that desire. We need to know how our election systems work and that they're secure, because these computer systems are the final word. The only thing that trumps them is a recount, but recounts depend upon the original outcome. Even the amount of money that a recount will cost depends upon the results from these computer systems. So, the answers to those questions should matter to you whether you live in Waukesha County or any other county in Wisconsin and whether you're a Republican, Democrat or independent.

We shouldn't need to ask for an investigation to get answers to relevant questions regarding an election system. The Government Accountability Board shouldn't need to go to Waukesha County, and we shouldn't need a recount in Waukesha County to get answers. Our elections must be open and transparent, we deserve to know exactly how mistakes occur, but these questions should be answered now by Nickolaus in duty to her office. Anything less will cost Wisconsin and Waukesha County tax payers more.

Since it's been more than four days and we still haven't been given any further explanation, I'm left with no choice but to continue with the clearest picture I can imagine. Again, here's the latest counts in two different scenarios, one assuming the Brookfield votes weren't originally reported and one assuming the Brookfield votes were originally reported.

These counts are using the latest numbers reported by counties at the completion of their canvass, all can be found at WisPolitics. Only Milwaukee County has yet to complete their canvass, counties not listed here had no net change. Thanks to WisPolitics for keeping an updated tally and keeping us informed of corrections. The counts used for Crawford, Kenosha, Oneida and Sauk counties may not be official, but they are the latest that WisPolitics has received from the clerks' offices.

These are the original numbers provided by the Associated Press.

(In alphabetical order)

Kloppenburg:	740,090
Prosser:	739,886
Kloppenburg up by 204 votes in total

Scenario A: Brookfield votes were missing in original count

(In alphabetical order)

Candidate	Net Gain	Counties
Kloppenburg	483	Brown(1), Buffalo(2), Dane(43), Door(12), Eau Claire(29), Grant(113), Green Lake(1), Iowa(30), Langlade(5), Lincoln(4), Kewaunee(1), Marinette(1), Monroe(2), Pepin(6), Portage(91), Richland(7), Rusk(31), Shawano(64), Sheboygan(1), Vernon(24), Washburn(5), Washington(10)
Prosser	7,991	Adams(2), Burnett(34), Calumet(1), Chippewa(5), Clark(28), Dodge(1), Dunn(5), Green(2), Jefferson(1), Juneau(1), Kenosha(60), Lafayette(10), Outagamie(1), Pierce(1), Sauk(1), Sawyer(2), Taylor(2), Walworth(2), Waukesha(7582), Waupaca(1), Winnebago(244), Wood(5)
Prosser up by 7,304 votes in total

Scenario B: Brookfield votes not missing from original count

(In alphabetical order)

Candidate	Net Gain	Counties
Kloppenburg	483	Brown(1), Buffalo(2), Dane(43), Door(12), Eau Claire(29), Grant(113), Green Lake(1), Iowa(30), Langlade(5), Lincoln(4), Kewaunee(1), Marinette(1), Monroe(2), Pepin(6), Portage(91), Richland(7), Rusk(31), Shawano(64), Sheboygan(1), Vernon(24), Washburn(5), Washington(10)
Prosser	588	Adams(2), Burnett(34), Calumet(1), Chippewa(5), Clark(28), Dodge(1), Dunn(5), Green(2), Jefferson(1), Juneau(1), Kenosha(60), Lafayette(10), Outagamie(1), Pierce(1), Sauk(1), Sawyer(2), Taylor(2), Walworth(2), Waukesha(179), Waupaca(1), Winnebago(244), Wood(5)
Kloppenburg up by 99 votes in total

Please, Kathy Nickolaus, show us your election system and answer our relevant questions. All we ask is to know how our elections operate and how the mistake was made. Time is of the essence.

I must note that computer election systems such as the one in Waukesha County can be hacked to change results without anyone ever being able to discover the change. So, the fact that the GAB doesn't "see any criminal activity" at this point is not necessarily comforting. A world-renowned security expert, Bruce Schneier, described some of the very real issues with election systems after questions over election security during the 2004 elections. The only way we can avoid situations like the one in Waukesha County is to demand open election systems that give our elections real transparency. A non-profit organization that has been successful in these efforts is the Open Voting Consortium.

If you want to have your voice heard regarding the issues with the Waukesha County election system and the delayed explanation we were given for the missing votes, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board has a complaint form here: http://gab.wi.gov/node/1282. The election official in this case is Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus.

The Democratic Canvasser Speaks Out

If you saw the press conference that Waukesha County Clerk, Kathy Nickolaus held and didn't have a lot of faith in the elderly Democratic canvasser who said that the numbers added up - check this out.

http://www.orchidforchange.com/parties/waukeshadems.com/ht/display/ArticleDetails/i/1343504

"I Saved Many Times All Night Long"

"I saved many times all night long." That's what Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus said last Thursday evening in response to questions regarding the reason why the city of Brookfield's votes weren't in the original count for the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court election. That's also one response that lead to more questions. Shortly after her press conference, I asked questions that I believe are some of the most important, those regarding the election system and the vote counting process in Waukesha County. I've designed computer software for many different purposes including devices used in highly secure environments, so I feel that I have some relevant knowledge. I believe the answers to my questions should matter to every voter and tax payer in Wisconsin.

These are my questions for Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus:

• Why doesn't the database in question automatically save?
• Why do you use a system with such great potential for error?
• How are you able to verify that an import and save is successful?
• Since you must manually save the database upon every import, why don't you verify the results?
• How often do you save the database when receiving returns during an election?
• If you saved so many times, how did you lose data, particularly just one city?
• Why do you insist on single-handedly controlling part of the election system when that type of control decreases security and transparency?
• How do you know for certain that you didn't correctly import the first Brookfield spreadsheet?
• Why did you wait over a day before informing the public once you verified that the error occurred?

I don't think that's asking a lot, and other people are asking many of the same and similar questions. Unfortunately, we haven't received any answers or any further explanation from Nickolaus, the person in charge of elections in Waukesha County. She's provided no response, even though many news organizations have been trying repeatedly to contact her regarding the error since the press conference. It's been over three days since then, and four days since the discovery. So there's been more than enough time to give us a clear explanation, particularly because clearly describing such a simple mistake involving a computer should be easy for a successful computer specialist such as Nickolaus. That's been very troubling to me.

Why do these questions matter? Regardless of the outcome of the election, we want to know that our elections are open, transparent and secure. My questions get right to the heart of that desire. We need to know how our election systems work and that they're secure, because these computer systems are the final word. The only thing that trumps them is a recount, but recounts depend upon the original outcome. Even the amount of money that a recount will cost depends upon the results from these computer systems, and recounts tend to just make things worse. Counting the votes right the first time is crucial. So, the answers to these questions should matter to you whether you live in Waukesha County or any other county in Wisconsin and whether you're a Republican, Democrat or independent.

We shouldn't need to ask for an investigation to get answers to relevant questions regarding an election system. The Government Accountability Board shouldn't need to go to Waukesha County, and we shouldn't need a recount in Waukesha County to get answers. Our elections must be open and transparent, we deserve to know exactly how mistakes occur, but these questions should be answered now by Nickolaus in duty to her office. Anything less will cost Wisconsin and Waukesha County tax payers more.

In order to quickly and concisely answer many of our questions, we require an open demonstration of the election system using, at the very least, the two spreadsheets from Brookfield. This should be followed by an open question and answer session with representatives from both candidates as well as the press, which should conclude only after all relevant questions have been appropriately answered. This should have been done at the press conference, there was more than enough time to put it together.

Please, Kathy Nickolaus, show us your election system and answer our relevant questions. All we ask is to know how our elections operate and how the mistake was made.

A world-renowned security expert, Bruce Schneier, summarized some of the very real issues with election systems after questions over election security during the 2004 elections. The only way we can avoid situations like the one in Waukesha County is to demand open election systems that give our elections real transparency. A non-profit organization that has been successful in these efforts is the Open Voting Consortium.

If you want to have your voice heard regarding the issues with the Waukesha County election system and the delayed explanation we were given for the missing votes, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board has a complaint form here: http://gab.wi.gov/node/1282. The election official in this case is Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus.