Recount - Sauk County Board of Canvassers

April 17, 2020 Recount of County Board Districts #19 & #7 (510 KB)

MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF CANVASSERS

RECOUNT FOR SAUK COUNTY SUPERVISORY DISTRICTS 19 & 7

SPRING ELECTION, APRIL 7, 2020

DATE:  Friday, April 17, 2020

TIME:  2:00 P.M.

LOCATION:  Room 213, West Square Bldg., 505 Broadway, Baraboo, WI

Call to order and certify compliance with the Open Meeting Law.  2:00 P.M. by Rebecca C. Evert, Sauk County Clerk, for the purpose of conducting an election recount of Sauk County Supervisory Districts 19 & 7.

Introduction of the members of the Board of Canvassers and tabulators:

Rebecca C. Evert, Board of Canvasser; Pat Carignan, Board of Canvasser; Marcy Huffaker, Board of Canvasser; County Clerk Staff: Chris Harry, Autumn Bates and Michelle Commings; Tim McCumber, Tabulator, Gary Rehfeldt, Interim-Sauk County Corp Counsel.

Observers: Rob Nelson, Carl Gruber (representing Tim Stieve), John Deitrich (representing Delmar Scanlon), and Bill Waser (representing Mark Waldon).

Recount Procedures.

Observers were requested to sign in.  R. Evert explained the recount using a manual hand count procedure.  Only the Board of Canvassers were allowed to physically handle all election material.  The recount process began and the procedures listed below were followed:

Poll lists were reviewed comparing numbers on both the County’s copy and the municipal copy.   Separate totals for regular voters and absentee voters are noted.

Ballots were reviewed and separated into two stacks- Election Day and absentee ballots, and then counted for a grand total of ballots, into groups of 25.  Then the ballots were separated by candidate.  Once completed, ballots were handed to the Board of Canvassers.

City of Baraboo Wards 3 & 4                                          Original Vote Totals                    Recount Vote Totals                

Tim Stieve                                                                                    255                                                 255                                        

Rob Nelson                                                                                  260                                                 259

Total number of ballots cast per inspector’s statement and voting machine tapes: 559.

Total voters as reconciled from poll lists: 559.  No discrepancies.

Total number of ballots hand counted: 554.                                          

Total Number of Absentee Applications/ballots: 439.  One absentee envelope was missing the voter’s signature, and should have been rejected on Election Day.  The Board of Canvassers decision was to conduct a drawdown of one ballot, resulting in (-1) vote for Nelson.

Items of Note:

Ballot bags were securely sealed.  Seal #00095397 was cut to remove ballots.  Ballot bag seal number was recorded on the Inspector’s Statement.

There were 0 provisional ballots cast.

There were 3 properly rejected absentee ballots.

Ballots were placed in bag #00093614 and resealed after recount.                    

Changes for City of Baraboo, Wards 3 & 4   (-1) Nelson

City of Reedsburg, Wards 1-3                                       Original Vote Totals                      Recount Vote Totals                

Delmar Scanlon                                                                     171                                                       171

Mark Waldon                                                                         167                                                      165                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Total number of ballots cast per inspector’s statement and voting machine tapes: 409

Total voters as reconciled from poll lists: 407.      

Total number of ballots hand counted: 409.  *See Items of Note.                                 

Total Number of Absentee Applications/ballots:  283 ballots counted; 282 envelopes.  Discussion amongst the Board of Canvassers concluded that a voter most likely came into the polling location and cast their absentee ballot, not returning the envelope.         

Items of Note:

Ballot bag was securely sealed.  Seal # 00095405 was cut to remove ballots.

Ballot bag seal numbers were recorded on the Inspector’s Statement.

There were 0 provisional ballots.

There were 2 properly rejected absentee ballots.

Ballot bag #00095406 from Ward 13 was opened to check for ballots that may have been sealed in the wrong bag.  No ballots were found; ballots were resealed in ballot bag #00093616.

Upon examination of the ballots, one ballot was discovered to have the circle on the ballot filled in next to Mark Waldon, and the write-in blank was filled in with Delmar Scanlon.  The Board of Canvassers, by unanimous decision, removed this ballot, citing voter’s intent was not clear resulting in (-1) Waldon (marked Exhibit 2).  B. Waser objected to this decision, as he felt voter’s intent was clear.

The tabulators counted more ballots, than there were voters.  The Board of Canvassers decision was that a drawdown of 2 ballots would be conducted.  As per guidance by State Statute, one blank ballot was removed (marked Exhibit 1).  A second ballot was drawn at random resulting in (-1) Waldon.  (marked Exhibit 3).  B. Waser objected to the random drawdown procedure, citing that it should have been conducted on uninspected ballots.

Ballots were placed in ballot bag #00093615 and resealed after recount.                    

Changes for City of Reedsburg, Wards 1-3   -  (-2) Waldon

MOTION (Evert/Huffaker) to adjourn at 5:40 P.M.  Motion carried unanimously.

Respectfully,

Michelle A. Commings

Deputy Sauk County Clerk

Original documents on file at the Office of the Sauk County Clerk

West Square Building, 505 Broadway, Room #144, Baraboo, WI  53913

Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

608.355.3286

www.co.sauk.wi.us