By — Associated Press Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/human-error-forces-recount-of-30000-absentee-ballots-in-milwaukee Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter ‘Human error’ forces recount of 30,000 absentee ballots in Milwaukee Politics Nov 5, 2024 6:16 PM EDT Election officials in Milwaukee are recounting more than 30,000 absentee ballots because doors on the ballot tabulators were not properly sealed. INTERACTIVE MAP: Create your own projections for the 2024 presidential race, based on race ratings from Cook Political Report The recounting was being done “out of an abundance of caution,” said Melissa Howard, spokesperson for the Milwaukee Election Commission. There was no reason to believe that any ballots already counted had been tampered with, she said. Howard said they were taking the step of recounting all of the ballots in an effort to be “completely, fully transparent.” The problem was due to human error, she said. The decision will delay the reporting of about 105,000 absentee ballots that could determine whether Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump win Wisconsin. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. Find more of our Vote 2024 coverage INTERACTIVE: 2024 Electoral College Map SERIES: A look at Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’ campaign pledges READ MORE: Don’t fall for these false claims as you await the 2024 election results WATCH: Pivotal races that will determine the balance of power in Congress READ MORE: When polls close on Election Day in these 7 battleground states WATCH: What early voting data signals about this year’s election LIVE BLOG: Election 2024 fact checks WATCH: How election workers are fighting back against bad actors trying to undermine the process We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Associated Press Associated Press
Election officials in Milwaukee are recounting more than 30,000 absentee ballots because doors on the ballot tabulators were not properly sealed. INTERACTIVE MAP: Create your own projections for the 2024 presidential race, based on race ratings from Cook Political Report The recounting was being done “out of an abundance of caution,” said Melissa Howard, spokesperson for the Milwaukee Election Commission. There was no reason to believe that any ballots already counted had been tampered with, she said. Howard said they were taking the step of recounting all of the ballots in an effort to be “completely, fully transparent.” The problem was due to human error, she said. The decision will delay the reporting of about 105,000 absentee ballots that could determine whether Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump win Wisconsin. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. Find more of our Vote 2024 coverage INTERACTIVE: 2024 Electoral College Map SERIES: A look at Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’ campaign pledges READ MORE: Don’t fall for these false claims as you await the 2024 election results WATCH: Pivotal races that will determine the balance of power in Congress READ MORE: When polls close on Election Day in these 7 battleground states WATCH: What early voting data signals about this year’s election LIVE BLOG: Election 2024 fact checks WATCH: How election workers are fighting back against bad actors trying to undermine the process We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now