MONROE — Election officials here and across much of the state have completed a post-election audit and found no discrepancies or voting issues in the area following the recent election.

“Residents in Green County can be confident that votes were counted accurately in the Nov. 2022 election following the completion of a post-election audit of voting equipment used in Green County on Nov. 8,” said County Clerk Arianna Voegeli.

According to Voegeli, on November 29, election workers completed an audit of voting equipment in three reporting units in the towns of Adams, Spring Grove, and York, which were randomly selected by the Wisconsin Elections Commission. The WEC auditing event, she added, is open to the public and “provides an additional way to ensure that voting machines worked properly, and that the election was conducted accurately.”

State statutes require a post-election audit of voting systems used in the state after each election. During the post-election audit, officials work to ensure the vote totals compiled by voting equipment on election night are indeed accurate. That process calls for an independent hand count of paper ballots; and tally the results of the selected contests. Then, the final hand-count tally total is compared to the election night voting system results, officials said.

Audit materials from each county are then submitted to the WEC for review. The WEC analyzes the audit results and investigates any discrepancies and can request a voting machine vendor investigate and provide explanation for any unexplained discrepancies. Once its work is complete, WEC staff will prepare a public report for review at the Feb. 2, 2023 Commission meeting.

“Discrepancies in the vote totals are infrequently reported, and if they are, they are typically due to human error, which election officials then work to prevent by developing new training protocols,” Voegeli said in her statement.

She credited the work of dedicated local volunteers for ensuring the process was smooth here, despite nationwide concerns about elections and election rules.

“I am not surprised things went smoothly,” Voegeli said. “I attribute the results of the election and audit to reliable machines, experienced and knowledgeable volunteers and public officials, and good planning.”