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Politics & Government

Supreme Court Election Recount Starts in Racine County

Hand-count of votes expected to last until May 9.

A lengthy, tedious and historic election ballot recount started this morning, April 27, in a first-floor conference room in the Racine County Courthouse.

County Clerk Wendy Christensen and two members of the Board of Canvass expect to work every day, except Sunday, through May 9 conducting a hand-recount of the approximately 52,000 ballots cast in the April 5 Wisconsin Supreme Court justice race.

The statewide recount was requested by Joanne Kloppenburg who lost the election to incumbent David Prosser by 7,316 votes – or less than one half of one percent. In Racine County, election outcomes verified by the canvass had Prosser with 28,204 votes and Kloppenburg with 22,518 votes.

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Racine is one of 31 counties where the ballots are being recounted by hand. The hand recount, overseen by the state Government Accountability Board, was agreed upon by the two campaigns to preserve voting data on ballot reading machines.

Christensen said she expects the counting to last until the May 9 deadline and cost her office about $2,500. The two canvass members are being paid $75 apiece for each day of the recount.

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Early in the process on Wednesday, Christensen, Deputy Clerk Joanne Smith and Board of Canvass members Christine Flynn (Democrat appointed representative) and Betty Majeski (Republican appointed representative) worked from a long table in the center of the room. Working in teams of two were eight volunteer tabulators from municipalities throughout the county. Five observers – three from the Kloppenburg campaign and two from the Prosser camp – strolled around the room watching the tabulators and canvass members do their work.

The observers were not allowed to speak directly to the tabulators, but the recount process is open to the public. Here are the details:

  • Location:  Room 151, Racine County Courthouse, 730 Wisconsin Ave.
  • Hours:  8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays; 9 a.m. to about 1 p.m. Saturdays.
  • Rules of conduct:  No coats, purses or personal effect allowed in the room. All participants, observers and visitors are required to sign in and out.
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