Free Republic

RACINE — Calling the local recall election “an utter mockery,” several prominent Assembly Republicans Wednesday called on the Government Accountability Board to resolve election issues before November. A letter signed by State Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald and Joint Finance Committee Co-Chair Robin Vos, among others, points to several reported problems in the recall for the 21st state Senate District. The issues include tampered-with ballot bags, unsigned poll books and a disregard for same-day registration requirements, they wrote. “It is an utter mockery of our system and clerks are simply not complying with the law,” the letter states. Vos, R-Rochester, said...

MADISON — Van Wanggaard has five business days to decide whether he wants to continue fighting. The incumbent Republican senator of the 21st Senate District remained 819 votes behind Democratic challenger John Lehman early Monday afternoon, when an extensive recount wrapped up. If Wanggaard concedes, Lehman returns to the seat he held before Wanggaard defeated him in November 2010, giving Democrats, at least for now, a 17-16 majority in the state Senate. “As with my decision to pursue the recount, I will spend the next couple of days reviewing the evidence, speaking with voters, supporters, and my family before deciding...

Madison - As Democrats celebrate a recount that reaffirmed state Senate candidate John Lehman's recall victory Monday, the campaign for Republican Sen. Van Wanggaard is considering a court challenge. Republicans hold a 17-16 majority in the Senate, but the Racine County victory will put control in Democrats' hands once Lehman is sworn in. A legal challenge would be unlikely to change the results, but would delay the transfer of power until the court rules. The Wanggaard campaign initially called for the recount after Democratic challenger Lehman netted an 834-vote victory in the 21st Senate District's June 5 recall election. Monday's...

Madison - The odds of Racine's recall recount winding up in court increased Tuesday, as Republican Sen. Van Wanggaard's campaign said it may challenge canvassers' decision to accept ballots from voters who did not sign the poll book. The recount is in its second week after Wanggaard's campaign requested canvassers review an 834-vote victory that favored Democratic challenger John Lehman in the June 5 recall. Republicans' latest contention of voting irregularities in Racine targets election workers who failed to ask voters to sign poll books as required by state law. The Wanggaard campaign also disputes the Government Accountability Board's recommendation...

A Wisconsin Government Accountability Board official admits that poll workers in Racine did not follow the law when they allowed voters who registered on election day to obtain and cast ballots without signing the supplemental poll list. "What is supposed to happen is that, they're not supposed to get a ballot," Michael Haas, Staff Counsel with the GAB said Monday afternoon. "The election official should not have given the person a ballot" That statement reinforced the one Haas gave the MacIver News Service earlier in the day when we reported on the errors. However, that same official now asserts that...

RACINE, WI (WTAQ) - Van Wanggaard says he’s not about to hand control of the Wisconsin Senate to the Democrats, without a thorough review of the votes cast in his recall election. The Election Night tally showed that Wanggaard lost to Democrat John Lehman by 779 votes, or 1.1 percent out of 72,000 votes cast Tuesday. But Wanggaard tells WRJN Radio in Racine that at least 600 absentee ballots have still not been counted. The station says there have been reports of voting irregularities throughout Racine County, and problems with the unofficial tally. So Wanggaard says he’ll hold tight before...

RACINE - The campaign for Racine Republican State Senator Van Wanggaard has not conceded victory to Democrat John Lehman in a recall election, but has said they are not yet asking for a recount.“We know that there are a number of outstanding absentee ballots, voting irregularities, and that there were problems across the county in the unofficial tally of ballots,” said Wanggaard in a statement. “People across the state and country have asked that I immediately ask for a recount. However, we all know that the best decisions are made when well-rested and after consideration of all options.”Lehman unofficially won the...