MADISON — Officials at the Wisconsin Elections Commission said they were pleased to learn Friday morning that the Legislative Audit Bureau’s months-long investigation of the November 2020 general election confirmed the election was accurate, safe, and secure.
Overall the report made it clear that vote totals in the 2020 election were accurate, that no processes were identified that could have changed the outcome, and that no evidence of widespread fraud of any type was discovered. The LAB report instead highlighted opportunities to improve election processes and procedures, identifying several administrative issues worthy of review.
“We’re gratified to see the report and to know that it really supports the hard-working and dedicated state and local elections officials across Wisconsin,” said WEC Administrator Meagan Wolfe.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission is responsible for administration and enforcement of election laws in Wisconsin. The Commission is made up of six Commissioners — four appointed directly by the State Senate Majority Leader, Speaker of the Assembly and the Minority Leaders in the State Senate and Assembly. The remaining two Commissioners are by the Governor with confirmation by the State Senate from lists of former municipal and county clerks submitted by the legislative leadership in each party.
Agency leaders said they spent hundreds of hours with LAB staff and wrote 25 comprehensive explanations and overviews to assist the Bureau in researching the 2020 general election. “We have cooperated and have viewed this as a partnership at every turn,” Wolfe said.
Wolfe said the most disappointing part of the report is that the WEC did not get a chance to first respond to a draft version of the findings, which is the standard process for the auditors to follow.
“I am disappointed that LAB didn’t give us a chance to review a draft report before they filed their final report,” she said. “Such important subject matter deserves careful and thoughtful review. Our initial scan of the report has identified several errors that we could have corrected earlier if we had been able to view the draft. Not allowing WEC a chance to review and respond to a draft report was a missed opportunity to ensure sure the report was accurate.”
Wolfe thanked the LAB auditors and the many local clerks involved in the audit around the state for their cooperation and help in exploring the 2020 general election in detail.
“We’ll continue to review the full report in detail to determine our response,” she said. “And we’re anxious to use this opportunity to look for ways to improve the administrative functions that are so critical to carrying out elections.”
Wolfe also expressed support and appreciation for the nearly 1,900 county and municipal clerks who do the heavy lifting in carrying out Wisconsin’s elections every year. She said holding a presidential election during a pandemic was a monumental task for local election officials, and she praised clerks across Wisconsin for their efforts.
For additional background on key questions surrounding the 2020 general election visit https://elections.wi.gov/2020-ElectionQuestions to review a series of FAQs.
