A troubling error in Wisconsin has raised questions about the state’s election integrity, as nearly 200 absentee ballots were found uncounted weeks after the November 2024 election. The missing ballots were uncovered during a post-election reconciliation process, and while officials claim they did not affect the election’s outcome, the discovery serves as a stark reminder of the flaws in the voting system.

The City of Madison Clerk’s Office informed the state election board on December 20 that 193 absentee ballots had been missed in the November election. The ballots were found sealed in carrier containers, which were part of the office’s post-election cleanup efforts. Although the oversight did not change the results of the election, officials have pledged to take corrective action to prevent similar incidents in the future.

🚨Madison Clerk's Office announced nearly 200 absentee ballots were not counted in November's election.

First duplicate ballots, and now this…

When is Madison going to clean up its act on election integrity?

— Rep. Tom Tiffany (@RepTiffany) December 27, 2024

“We sincerely apologize to our voters,” said the Madison Clerk’s Office in a statement, promising to implement additional safeguards moving forward. Under new procedures, every polling location will receive a list of absentee envelope seal numbers, which will be verified on Election Day. This additional step is aimed at ensuring every valid vote is counted and to restore confidence in the election process.

Nearly 200 absentee ballots went uncounted in November election in Wisconsin https://t.co/oJuOzkisjG

— Team CRUSH ✝️ 🇺🇸 (@NorCalCrush) December 27, 2024

Madison’s Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, a Democrat, expressed her disappointment in the oversight, calling it a significant deviation from the high standards expected by local voters. She vowed to review the city’s election policies to ensure such mistakes are not repeated in the future. “Immediate steps will be taken to ensure this kind of mistake will not happen again,” Rhodes-Conway said.

We have the same problem with the Baldwin and Hovde race for the Senate here in Wisconsin. Hovde was leading up to 1pm by a healthy margin then there was a Dump of some 'found' ballots 800,000 to be exact. Two of the biggest districts has 150% and 200% of the Voters… https://t.co/OnaJGLs3T1

— Jim Murphy (@VideoPod) November 20, 2024

While the error in Madison has sparked concerns, the discovery also highlights the broader issue of election integrity across the nation. President Donald Trump, who has long been vocal about his concerns over election fraud, called for increased transparency and security measures after the 2020 election. Trump has expressed the need to ensure that each voter’s voice is properly heard and that the election process remains free of errors.

GOP Senate candidate Eric Hovde of Wisconsin says he was ahead on Election Night, but then suddenly lost the lead when his opponent won "nearly 99%" of ballots dumped at 4AM in Milwaukee.

He said a precincts in Milwaukee having "over 200%" turnout.
pic.twitter.com/yt3Qwl3NgR

— Donald Ayibiowu (@AyibiowuDonald) November 12, 2024