% >> WHILE THE UNOFFICIAL VOTES
% WERE TALLIED LAST WEEK, COUNTIES
% HAVE UNTIL NEXT TUESDAY TO
% DELIVER THEIR OFFICIAL CANVAS.
% THEN THE CHAIR OF THE WISCONSIN
% ELECTIONS COMMISSION HAS UNTIL
% DECEMBER 1ST TO CERTIFY THE
% ELECTION RESULTS.
% THE FUTURE OF THE COMMISSION
% ITSELF WAS A POLITICAL HOT
% POTATO THROUGHOUT THE MID-TERMS.
% FOR AN UPDATE WE TURN TO THE
% CHAIR OF THE WISCONSIN ELECTIONS
% COMMISSION DONE MILLIS.
% THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
% YOU TOLD US IN JULY WHEN WE LAST
% SPOKE WITH YOU THAT YOUR JOB IS
% TO QUOTE LOOK FORWARD AND TRY TO
% ENHANCE THE PUBLIC'S CONFIDENCE
% IN ELECTIONS.
% SO JUST OFF THE NOVEMBER 8TH
% ELECTION, DID YOU SUCCEED?
% >> I THINK WE DID IN MANY
% RESPECTS.%THE ELECTION WENT
OFF BETTER
% THAN MANY EXPECTED.
% I KNOW THERE WERE PRESS ACCOUNTS
% OF CONCERN ABOUT CONTROVERSIES
% AND CONFLICTS AT POLLING PLACES.
% THERE WAS ONE VERY UNFORTUNATE
% INCIDENT IN WEST BEND WHERE
% SOMEONE WHO PERHAPS A TROUBLED
% INDIVIDUAL HAD A KNIFE.
% THAT'S -- I DON'T KNOW MUCH
% ABOUT THAT OTHER THAN WHAT I'VE
% READ IN THE PAPERS.
% THERE WERE SOME PRESS REPORTS
% BUT I THINK FOR THE MOST PART IT
% WENT VERY WELL.
% I TALKED TO STAFF THE EVENING OF
% THE ELECTION, THE NEXT DAY AND
% THEY THOUGHT IT WENT VERY WELL.
% WE HAVEN'T HAD -- I HAVE NOT
% SEEN ANY ACCOUNTS OF GRAND
% CONSPIRACIES OR ELECTION BEING
% STOLEN IN WISCONSIN.
% AND SO THUS FAR SO GOOD.
% >> SO BREATHING A SIGH OF
% RELIEF?%>> A LITTLE BIT.
% I THINK THAT BOTH PARTIES,
% LEADERSHIP OF BOTH PARTIES TRIED
% VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THE
% ELECTION WEPT REALLY SMOOTHLY.
% BOTH PARTIES INVESTED A LOT OF
% MONEY IN TRAINING PARTISAN POLL
% WORKERS AND PARTISAN ELECTION
% OBSERVERS.
% I THINK THE STAFF AT THE
% COMMISSION DID A GOOD JOB
% ASSISTING CLERKS AND I THINK THE
% FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE IN
% WISCONSIN ARE THE LOCAL CLERKS
% AND I THINK THEY DID A VERY GOOD
% JOB.
% >> HOW DID THE COMMISSION DO IN
% PROVIDING GUIDANCE TO THE
% ELECTION CLERKS, THE
% COMMISSION'S PRIMARY
% RESPONSIBILITY?
% >> I THINK THEY DID GOOD JOB.
% WE TALKED ABOUT HOW TO DEAL WITH
% PROBLEM SITUATIONS, EDUCATED
% THEM ON THE LAW AND COURTS HAVE
% RULED AT VARIOUS TIMES WHAT WE
% CAN AND CANNOT SAY.
% THAT'S FAIR.
% WITHIN THOSE CONSTRAINTS I THINK
% THE COMMISSION STAFF DID A VERY
% GOOD JOB OF EDUCATING CLERKS AND
% PROVIDING THEM WITH THE TOOLS TO
% MAKE SURE THE ELECTIONS RAN
% SMOOTHLY AND TRANSPARENTLY.
% >> IN YOUR MIND WHAT STILL NEEDS
% ADDRESSING?%>> WE STILL NEED
TO HAVE GREATER
% CONFIDENCE IN ELECTION RESULTS.
% IT IS A NAGGING ISSUE.
% ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE
% COMMISSION HAS SUGGESTED ON A
% BIPARTISAN 6-0 VOTE WAS TO
% PROPOSE AN OFFICE OF INSPECTOR
% GENERAL WITHIN THE AGENCY WITH
% RESOURCES AND POSITIONS THAT
% WOULD HELP INVESTIGATE -- NOT SO
% MUCH FORMAL COMPLAINTS BUT
% CONCERNS ABOUT THE LEGITIMACY OF
% CERTAIN PRACTICES AND ALSO TO
% ADDRESS PUBLIC INQUIRIES AND THE
% LEGISLATURE'S INQUIRIES.
% >> NOW THAT TONY EVERS HAS WON
% AND THE DEMOCRAT INCUMBENT HAS
% WON THE SECRETARY OF STATE OF
% HAS WON DO YOU THINK THE GETTING
% RID OF THE COMMISSION.
% >> IF ANYONE HAS ANY AWARENESS
% OF WHAT'S GOING ON, ANY RADICAL
% CHANGE FOR THE COMMISSION IS
% UNLIKELY TO PASS AND BE SIGNED
% BY THE GOVERNOR.
% THE GOAL FOR US IN THE NEXT TWO
% YEARS IS COME UP WITH CHANGES
% THAT EVERYONE CAN AGREE UPON.
% >> HAVE YOU SPOKEN WITH SPEAKER
% VOS WHO APPOINTED YOU ABOUT
% WHETHER OR NOT HE WILL PURSUE
% ANY KIND OF MORE SIGNIFICANT
% CHANGES TO ELECTION LAW?
% >> I HAVE NOT.
% I KNOW WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS
% AMONG THE COMMISSIONERS AND ON
% STAF ABOUT SMALLER --
% SMALL-SCALE CHANGES THAT MIGHT
% FIND FAVOR WITH REPUBLICANS AND
% DEMOCRATS BUT I HAVE NOT HAD A
% CONVERSATION WITH THE SPEAKER.
% >> CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT SOME OF
% THOSE SMALLER CHANGES MAY BE?
% >> WE WOULD LIKE TO MAYBE
% ADDRESS THE ISSUES WITH ILLEGAL
% REQUESTS FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS.
% THE RECENT REQUEST FOR MILITARY
% BALLOTS, THERE ARE SOME THINGS
% THAT COULD BE DONE THAT I THINK
% WOULD BE -- FIND FAVOR WITH
% EVERYONE.
% THERE ARE -- WISCONSIN IS THE
% ONLY -- OF THE 49 STATES THAT
% REQUIRE REGISTRATION OR HAVE
% REGISTRATION, WE'RE THE ONLY
% STATE THAT DOESN'T HAVE MILITARY
% VOTERS REGISTERED.
% WE THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE
% COULD CHANGE THAT WOULD HELP
% SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
% WE ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, I
% THINK, TO ALLOW ELECTRONIC
% VOTING BY MILITARY OFFICERS BY
% ENGAGING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
% DEFENSE AND USING SOME OF THEIR
% SYSTEMS.%AND SO THAT'S NOT BE
EN TRIED
% ANYWHERE ELSE.
% WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE THAT.
% THAT WOULD BE A MAKING SURE OUR
% MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN OVERSEAS
% CAN VOTE AND CAN MAKE SURE THEIR
% VOTES ARE COUNTED.
% SENDING BACK A PAPER BALLOT
% OVERSEAS HAS TIME ISSUES AND
% THERE ARE ONLY -- WE ARE --
% >> SO THAT GETTING OF THE
% MILITARY BALLOTS BY THE PERSON
% WHO DID IT, THE FORMER DEPUTY
% ELECTION COMMISSIONER IN
% MILWAUKEE, IN YOUR MIND THAT
% EXPOSED A VULNERABILITY.
% >> I DON'T KNOW IF THAT
% HAPPENED.%IN TALKING TO THE
STAFF THERE IS
% A LAG TIME WHICH BY THOSE
% CHANGES, THOSE REQUESTS HAVE
% BEEN LOGGED INTO THE SYSTEM AND
% THE STAFF WERE CONFIDENT WITHIN
% 2 OR 3 DAYS AFTER IT BECAME
% APPARENT, IT HADN'T BECOME
% PUBLIC COMMISSION STAFF WOULD
% HAVE PICKED UP ON IT.
% IT IS THE NUMBER OF MILITARY
% BALLOTS ARE RELATIVELY SMALL AND
% SOMETHING THEY CAN GET THEIR
% ARMS AROUND.
% SO I THINK THAT WE PROBABLY
% WOULD HAVE CAUGHT IT BUT I THINK
% IN THIS CASE IT WOULD BE BETTER
% TO AND STILL GREATER PUBLIC
% CONFIDENCE AND COME UP WITH A
% BETTER SYSTEM FOR HANDLING