>> 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 BEEN 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