Kloppenburg requests a recount

JoAnne Kloppenburg has requested a state-wide recount of the election results from April 5. A court hearing tomorrow morning will determine if that recount will simply be a repeat of the process used on election night or a hand-count of every ballot.

She said she is pursuing this course to verify the outcome of the election and to restore the pubic trust in the electoral process.

In addition, Kloppenburg is calling on the Government Accountability Board to appoint a special investigator to “professionally and thoroughly investigate the action and words of the Waukesha County Clerk.”

“I do not make this decision lightly,” Kloppenburg told supporters and staffers at a Madison-area park. “I have heard impassioned arguments by those advising me for and against. I have weighed the options and facts.”

She noted statewide anomalies in the election — under votes in the cities of Milwaukee and Racine, long lines and photo-copied ballots used in Fond du Lac County, significant vote changes in Winnebago County and the problems with reporting or recording the vote in Waukesha County. She was unable to pinpoint any hard evidence that the irregularities were anything more than clerical mistakes or the crush of a well-publicized election.

“A recount may change the outcome or confirm it, but when it is done it will have shined a necessary and approriate light on an election that right now seems to so many people suspect.”

She said Justice David Prosser’s comments that a recount would add to the “drama” and “circus” were untrue; in fact the recount is a legal option given by the state and something that democracy demands.

“The right to vote is fundamental and in America we have a promise that elections are fair and open,” Kloppenburg said. “Elections that are untouched by deceit and and fraud and a process that allows each and every voter the ability to cast a ballot.”

“We must do what this nation expects and deserves. If there are problems we need to identify them and fix them. If there was misconduct we must find out who was responsible.”

After the integrity of the election comments, Kloppenburg turned to her second reason for seeking the recount: to determine what happened in Waukesha County. She said the GAB and Director Kevin Kennedy are too close to the situation and have worked closely with Kathy Nickolaus and the Waukesha County Clerk’s office before, during and after the election. She was concerned that the GAB “would not have the ability to keep an arm’s length or do a more adversarial investigation.”

Kennedy did not respond to calls for a comment on Kloppenburg’s claims.

“We must make sure there is real change in the election processes and policies in Waukesha,” Kloppenburg said. “The one-and-one-half day delay of notice of a vote total (Nickolaus) knew was incorrect raises significant questions about her conduct. Going forward we must restore confidence in elections.”

Kloppenburg denied feeling any pressure from unions or outside groups to seek the recount.

“I am a lawyer. I don’t feel, I work in facts and law,” she said. “I am making my decision based on my receipt of advice and on the law and facts. There are those who have tried to tie me to the union, but they have no evidence to base that on. I have been the independent and impartial candidate. I am doing this because it is right for me, my campaign, my supporters and for all of the people of Wisconsin.”

On Monday, Justice David Prosser declared his victory after the statewide canvass of the April 5 election was completed. At that time he said while Kloppenburg had the right to ask for a recount, such a move was unwarranted and would be too costly to taxpayers.

“Admittedly the election was uncomfortably close,” Prosser said. “My opponent ran a very effective campaign. But now that all 72 counties have completed their canvasses, the result of the election is not in doubt. ”

The official vote canvass has Prosser defeating Kloppenburg by 7,316 votes out of approximately 1.5 million cast. The margin is just under the half-percent point, which allows Kloppenburg to ask for a recount without having to pay for it.

Instead the cost of the state recount will be carried by taxpayers in each county.

When election night ended, Kloppenburg was leading by 204 votes. But on April 7,  it was determined that over 11,000 votes were not reported to the Associated Press on election night in Waukesha County. The votes were reported by the Brookfield City Clerk to Nickolaus, who has said she forgot to hit save when she entered the totals onto the county-wide spreadsheet disseminated to reporters.

Kloppenburg and Prosser did not do fundraising during the campaign, since both received $400,000 in state judicial election funds. However, both will need to solicit outside funding to cover legal and observation costs of the recount.

Kloppenburg asked people interested in helping her recount efforts to visit her website to volunteer or offer monetary support.