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County discusses centralizing absentee‑ballot processing as November election approaches
Summary
Clerks and supervisors debated whether the county should offer to handle municipal absentee‑ballot requests to reduce errors; the county clerk said statute leaves the responsibility with municipalities but an MOU service could be offered, and the office reported about 780 absentee ballots currently in the system.
The county clerk told the committee that municipal clerks are statutorily responsible for taking absentee‑ballot requests but that the county could offer to centralize the process under an MOU. The clerk said such a service could improve accuracy for small towns that experience turnover and complex absentee scenarios.
"Right now...it's a responsibility of the municipal clerks to take requests for absentee ballots and send them out," the clerk said, noting that the Wisconsin Elections Commission confirmed municipal responsibility but did not prohibit the county from offering the service. The clerk reported about 780 absentee ballots are currently in the system and expects that number to grow ahead of November.
Committee members also discussed drop boxes at town halls as a way to reduce handling errors, and one member said the county could offer to pre‑address and postmark envelopes for towns that opt in. Members reiterated that receiving completed ballots back accurately — not just sending them out — is the core vulnerability the county wants to address.
Why it matters: With a high‑stakes November election approaching, counties and municipal clerks are considering operational steps to prevent disenfranchisement from mismanaged absentee ballots; centralizing some processes or offering support could reduce errors but may require town buy‑in or legislative changes.
