Wisconsin Elections Commission releases election readiness, security report

(The Center Square) – Less than a month before Election Day, the Wisconsin Elections Commission has announced election officials are fully prepared to conduct safe and secure elections.

The commission revealed in its Wisconsin election readiness report that WEC staff and county clerk training, enhanced security, upgraded technology, and other protocols are in place for November.

While most other states administer elections at the county level, Wisconsin runs elections at the municipal level, with the counties playing a supporting, yet critical, role. The WEC has authorized more than $13 million in federal funds to municipalities and counties to improve election administration at the local level.

“Running a successful election requires careful planning and the dedication of thousands of election workers across the great state of Wisconsin,” WEC Administrator Meagan Wolfe said Monday. “We started those preparations four years ago, and we’re proud of what we have accomplished in laying the groundwork for a safe, secure, and accurate election in November.”

Wisconsin has about 1,850 city, village, and town election officials who register voters, issue absentee ballots, recruit and train poll workers, and ensure safety at the polls.

In its report, the WEC said it has been in close communication with local election officials, including hosting technical and security training sessions and issuing a clerk preparedness survey. The report outlined the multi-faceted process and security measures involved in election official training. Among other things, the WEC offered in-person and virtual training sessions for clerks and updated election administration manuals to comply with new changes in state election law.

“The diverse, multidisciplinary, and enduring training programs offered by the Commission ensure that local election officials are well-prepared to administer all elections, including the November General Election, with accuracy, fairness, and security,” the report says.

Besides offering local clerks cybersecurity training, the WEC has invested in other security preparations, including maintaining continuous contact with state and federal law enforcement partners about the latest security measures. The WEC has also partnered with cyber and physical security partners like the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

In addition, Wisconsin election law requires the WEC to conduct audits after Election Day on the accuracy and performance of electronic voting tabulation machines in a randomized sample of 10% of reporting units statewide. The audits are conducted in meetings open for the public to watch.

The WEC has also prepared and updated the statewide Voter Registration Database platform, implementing the state’s new political maps and allowing the systems to receive necessary updates and security patches in real time on election night.

Besides having conducted a statewide review of registered voters’ continued eligibility, WEC staff monitor Registration List Alerts to verify that each municipality is acting on the latest voter identification information, searching for potential duplicate records and deceased or felon voter status. The Voter Registration Database system also generates poll books and issues, tracks, and receives absentee ballot records, ensuring that only one ballot is counted per eligible voter.

Other WEC changes include redesigning absentee ballot envelopes to clarify voter instructions and improve usability, and a security update to MyVote.wi.gov website that allows voters to register online, request an absentee ballot, track their absentee ballot, and more.

There will be nearly 2,500 polling places requiring more than 30,000 poll workers on Election Day. Based on voter turnout in previous years, the WEC expects that more than 3 million Wisconsinites will cast a vote in the 2024 November election.