MADISON, WI (WTAQ) – A nonpartisan audit of the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin did not identify any widespread fraud in the state.
Republican State Senator Rob Cowles of Allouez co-chairs the Legislature’s Audit Committee.
The long-awaited nonpartisan @WILegAudit’s review of Elections Administration was released just moments ago. With 30 recommendations, many of which are urgent and significant, for the @WI_Elections staff and another 18 items for Legislative consideration, we have work to do. https://t.co/N01WE5mLk3
— Rob Cowles (@SenRobCowles) October 22, 2021
“Despite concerns with statewide elections procedures, this audit showed us that the election was largely safe and secure,” Cowles continued. “The LAB has been well-respected as a nonpartisan agency by both sides of the aisle & by their colleagues around the US. It’s my hope that we can now look at election law changes & agency accountability measures in a bipartisan manner based on these nonpartisan recommendations.”
Democratic Representative Gordon Hintz of Oshkosh also weighed in on the audit.
“This report confirms that Wisconsin’s 2020 elections were fair, secure and accurate. The report also contradicts the disingenuous lies legislative Republicans have peddled for the last eleven months in their attempt to breed distrust in our democracy. There is no doubt legislative Republicans will try to exploit these recommendations to hold onto political power. The people of Wisconsin should see those maneuvers for what they are: a desperate attempt to hold onto power at any cost,” Hintz said. “Instead of targeting and intimidating our local clerks or limiting the freedom to vote in Wisconsin, lawmakers should expand voter access to the ballot box and ensure our local clerks have the full support they need.”
Democratic members of the Joint Audit Committee also issued a statement:
The audit released today yet again shows that Wisconsin’s elections are free, accurate, fair, and secure. Despite all the challenges our local election officials faced in the midst of unprecedented circumstances, there is still no evidence to prove any claims that proponents of The Big Lie peddle. It is time to put these falsehoods to rest. This audit showed what we already know – faced with impossible challenges, our clerks administered a safe, secure, and fair election. In order to continue supporting their integral work, the legislature should prioritize increasing resources for training, technology, and staffing. It is irresponsible, and simply untrue, for Republicans to continue insinuating that the 2020 election wasn’t administered appropriately. There was no fraud. The election administration was carried out with integrity and accuracy. End of story. With the odds stacked against our local clerks, they ran a safe and secure election. We must thank our clerks properly and put these nonsensical falsehoods to bed. Our decentralized election process ensures our elections are accessible, safe, and secure. It’s time to move on.
However, the report from the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau did identify inconsistent administration of election law based on surveys of ballots from across the state – and made thirty recommendations for the Wisconsin Elections Commission to consider in efforts to improve elections. It also determined that dozens of voting machines it reviewed worked correctly.
The report also pointed out 18 possible legal changes for the Legislature to consider.
The audit reviewed a sample of 14,710 absentee ballots that were cast in 29 municipalities. It found that nearly 7%, or 1,022 ballots, had partial witness signatures; only 15 ballots did not have a witness address in its entirety; eight did not have a witness signature and three did not have a voter signature.
The audit also found 24 people who might have two active voter registrations. The report says only four of those people might have voted twice, and their names were referred to the elections commission, which could forward them to local prosecutors.
WTAQ News has reached out to Senator Cowles for further comment.
