Interesting Factoid #1:
The number of votes for Justice David Prosser that Republican Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus found two days after election day puts a taxpayer-funded recall just out of reach for Prosser’s opponent, Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg.
Interesting Factoid #2:
While working as a staffer for the Assembly Republican Caucus, Nickolaus’ boss was none other than then-Assembly Speaker David Prosser.
Sven,
I think that in part that is what the canvassing board did (with representatives from both sides of the aisle). However, I do agree that the GAB should re-review all of the vote totals to ensure that they match the final official tally and not the unofficial tally that was provided to the media the night of the election. They should also compare the database that she used for the unofficial tally to the final official numbers to see if the City of Brookfield was indeed missing from the earlier number.
If they identify that the City of Brookfield was included in the unofficial tally and that the votes were somehow added to the official total incorrectly, then there should be a criminal investigation.
In the end, there either was indeed a human error that under-reported the total in the unofficial report, or someone criminally altered the election totals. If it was human error, Prosser was one of the main people wronged by the error. If it was some fraudulent act on the part of the County Clerk, then she should be prosecuted.
As I said, I can certainly understand the anger and suspicion. However, it is also hard to imagine that the County Cleark would have completely fabricated thousands of votes that were not cast, and that these would subsequently be certified by the canvassing board. If that did occur, then it should be easy enough to catch by comparing the totals from each voting precint to the final tally. If they are made up out of thin air on her computer, then there should be a 14,000 vote discrepancy.
The GAB isn’t going to assuage too many people’s concerns, considering it blessed many of Nickolaus’ insane changes to the vote tally process.
I don’t see evidence of fraud, but I do see mountains of evidence that Nickolaus had no idea what she was doing. I want to see what else she screwed up.
Maybe the republicans can use this as a teachable moment and immediately run through a bill making it illegal to be party Chair and clerk. To show how serious they are about clean elections.
I concur.
plus if you look, Sam answered his own question after he asked it. Having emotions run high at a time like this is perfectly understandable.
Sven,
If the canvassing board (which included a democrat) and the GAB both certify that the official result is an accurate tally and that the unofficial result reported to the media the night of the election was in error, I believe the majority of people would be satisfied. There will certainly be a significant number of people that will not be satisfied with this and will want to push on with legal remedies and court action. However, my guess is that there will be no way to satisfy this group of people entirely short of Kloppenburg being declared the winner.
This is why I believe that in the end Prosser has been the most harmed by the actions of the clerk. There will be a minority of the electorate that will never be satisfied that he was legitimately elected.
Is there any reason why you can’t come up with a different moniker, anon?? You must have noticed “Anon” has been taken. All you have to do is type one more letter and you will be good. Say like…”anony”.
which included a democrat
Oh, JFC. Can we please put this talking point to rest? Do you really think the Democratic Party is like a campus fraternity? You trust Brother Biff, don’t you? What experience does Grandma Whatsername have in evaluating the convoluted, Jerry-rigged system Nickolaus invented?
There will be a minority of the electorate that will never be satisfied that he was legitimately elected.
Yeah, just what I thought. “We don’t need no stinking investigations. Just get over it.”
Sven,
Despite what you believe my attidue is not “Just get over it”. I believe it should be looked into and the tally should be verified. If there are problems with the official tally, then further investigation is warranted. In addition, the numbers used for the unofficial reporting should be provided and someone should verify if Brookfield was indeed missing.
I fully concede that conservatives would have the same attidue if this were Dane County, and that they would press for legal action. When I say that a minority will never be satisfied, I think that this would also be the case in the reverse.
Given the initial mis-reporting, what would it take for you to fully believe that it was just an honest mistake and there is no foul play?
The canvassing process that involved “Grandma Whatsername” is not a jerry-rigged system that Nickolaus invented. It is the process that every county utilizes to certify the final vote tally. The unofficial tally seems to be the system that was handled by just Nickolaus and was error prone.
if this women would have done her job on election night like she was suppose to this would all be over Prosser would be the winner. She needs to resign and resign now. All her mistake did was fuel the far left, causing more divisi0n in this state.
This is one thing I agree with. The people of Waukesha should be ashamed that she is representing them and this is my problem with her more than anything else. She KNEW this on Wednesday, so why didn’t she say it then? Problem solved.
Christ. 😐
Waukesha County if I’m not clear.
I mean holy shit, how do you miss the 2nd biggest city in Waukesha County? And the whole thing at that?
Knowing the current way things are run though, she’ll probably be promoted and seen as some ‘hero’ for revealing this by the right. She’s incompetent and has a history of failure/or corruption that others in Waukesha County see. I just hope they will actually get rid of her or she will resign.
Where is the leadership? Can’t Walker just fire her? For some reason, I don’t think he will.
How old are you? Is this your first time following politics? If so, I’ll forgive the ignorance.
No, Walker can’t “just fire her.” She’s not an employee of his, or the state. She’s an elected county official. Walker could ask her to resign – but that probably wouldn’t have any more effect than you or I asking. The recourse for elected officials who is well-established. It’s going on all over the state for a number of individuals. Personally, I’d argue that there’s a a much stronger case for recall against Nickolaus than any of the state legislators. But in all cases – one guy can’t just erase the voters wishes.
Many Republicans have been highly critical of her in the past. Given her past, I’m assuming that she’s not exactly got a lot of party support – but there’s not much they could do if she chose to run as a Republican. It’s a shame they didn’t run a candidate against her – but I’d guess it was “better one of ours that we don’t like than any one of theirs” that both the parties often will use to rationalize such things – especially for county offices that don’t really do much. And it’s an even bigger shame that the Waukesha Democrats didn’t see fit to find a challenger that could have beaten her. You’d think it wouldn’t have been that difficult to find somebody, considering her previous goofs. I wouldn’t be shocked at all if she ran unopposed – as is frequently the case for those sorts of offices.
Can anyone confirm when Nickolaus was last elected, what the results were and whether the office was even contested. I’d bet even money it wasn’t, but so far haven’t been able to find out definitively either way.
Last elected November 2008. Uncontested (Nickolaus 170,797 / write-in 545)
Source
No, Sam – she’s elected. Can only be fired at the ballot box. And generally it’s considered bad form in a democratic system for electeds of higher office to openly encourage other electeds of lower office to resign. Behind the scenes…another story. And Scooter becoming a stickler for good form would certainly be out of character, so you never know.
Think about the average “win by any means necessary” Walkersha County Republican and Charles Sykes listener. Then think of Nickolaus’ background, and the fact that David Prosser gave her the break she needed, and the fact that she covered for Scooter Jensen and company in the caucus scandal a decade ago. Then think of the fact that a 15-year veteran comuter programmer says that Access “didn’t save”, when anyone who’s ever done Access in their lives knows it saves records upon entry and you have to work to delete them. And remember that people like Ken Blackwell and Katherine Harris get their careers advanced in the GOP for pulling shenanigans that help Republicans win.
Now do you think this Brookfield vote “omission” is completely incompetent and accidental? Yeah, I’m a bit skeptical of that too.
Let’s just have the state pay for this recount and find out what’s actually happened here, shall we? And as it stands now, the state would still pay (though there’s plenty of cash out there even if the 0.5% threshhold isn’t reached with the “official” numbers).
This has been another wonderful day in Wisconsin Politics 2011. AM1290 was full of fun and excitement. The Republicans have stolen another election! Florida in 2000, Ohio 2004 and now Crookfield Wisconsin.
Wisconsin is on the Right Track. There will be no Left Turns allowed.
The accusations of an embarrassing f#ck up on Nickolaus’ part are certainly justified. However, I don’t know why the Dems/Lefties/Progs here are miffed…for every pro-Klop voter Nickolaus almost disenfranchised, she would have zapped three for Prosser. If anyone, it’s the folks in Waukesha who should be calling for her resignation.
That said, I have yet to see a rational allegation of fraud. As many have noted, Brookfield’s numbers were conspicuously absent on election night. The first numbers reported are considered “unofficial” for situations like this.
So how soon until we see public employee union members picketing in front of Ramona Kitzinger’s house?
Roland,
Are you the guy behind the fake ” union member” 10% tip at the restaurant story I read about on Badger Blather? That was hilarious, in a deeply pathetic kind of way. You guys are a genuine pack of juvenile numbnuts, no doubt about it.
Nope, not my scoop. I’m told it’s true and have no reason to suspect otherwise. Given everything we’ve seen, it’s certainly believable. If you have some proof that it is a faked story, let’s hear it.
Did the proprietor of that restaurant fake the story to drum up business? I don’t know. We have seen that tactic used before, by liberals:
http://badgerblogger.com/?p=19243
My evaluation of the story at the time was this: “Leaving a 9-point-something % tip isn’t that big of a deal.” It’s just a jerky thing to do if the wait staff deserved better.
Thanks for stopping by our blog just the same, Steve. Our hit-counters are non-partisan. 🙂
I can’t prove the Lochness Monster is a fake Roland, and yet I’m more inclined to believe in Nessie than I’m inclined to trust the smear merchants you hang out with.
So you agree every vote should be counted at the taxpayer’s expense? If Prosser’s lead stands then Kloppenburg would have to foot the bill for any recount.
STOLEN?! Votes now STEAL elections? Get a grip. It’s a shame that one person made a mockery of the election but there was nothing illegal about it.
Roland I actually like when you comment. If only the rest of your crew was as sane as you. I won’t comment on a tip story, because I can’t believe anyone would think it is. That being said, you kbnow your wrong on.the restaurant story right.
If I’m wrong about the union member tip story, then so are you since I’m pretty much in the “non-story” camp.
I could care less what anyone tips…it matters not to any story. A sitting governor being booed out of a restaurant 1 block from the capitol shortly after he took office, is a story.
Kevin Kennedy is the chief councel of the Wisconsin Government Accountabilty Board {WGAB}. He said before an investigation was even started that he didn’t believe there had been any fraud committed in Waukesha County. The WGAB is supposed to be nonpartisan. This doesn’t sound nonpartisan to me. He’s drawing conclusions before an investigation has even taken place. The WGAB is not biased. OF COURSE THAT AREN’T. Isn’t no wonder that so many people have grown so cynical about American politics. I’m 61 years old and have voted in every election since I became eligle to vote. No more. I’m not going to pretend the process is any more than CORRUPT!!!
Don’t suppose you happen to know how the GAB was formed? That might be of value before accusing them of being biased and corrupt. It’s not hard to find, they even have their own website and everything:
The current board is still the original one created…in other words, they were appointed by Jim Doyle and confirmed by a Democrat controlled Senate.
But sure, they’re certainly in the bag for Prosser.
I know EXACTLY what the WGAB is SUPPOSED to be. I don’t care who was the governor in 2008 when the board was formed. MUST be non-partisan? NO. Is SUPPOSED TO BE. BIG DIFFERENCE. This board is to make us all believe everything is on the up and up so the peasants won’t revolt. You can’t fool all the people all the time.
Also judges are also LAWYERS. Not exactly the most highly respected profession in the land.
As long as party partisans of any party are allowed to control “elections” there will always be questions whether the vote counts are honest or not. Both our major parties are corrupt because they are controlled by money. Don’t get so hung up about whether the corruption is from one party or the other. It comes from BOTH.