The November 2020 election was deemed safe and secure, but you still could see changes on how they are conducted in the future. The non-partisan Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau released their review last week of the election, which included 30 recommendations to address urgent and significant concerns. An additional 18 items were flagged for legislative consideration. The audit surveyed all 1,835 municipal clerks and 72 county clerks earlier this year and reviewed electronic voting equipment. State Senator Robert Cowles and State Representative Samantha Kerkman said in a statement that the audit showed the Wisconsin Elections Commission is not complying with state statute when it comes to clerk training and voter verification.  The recommendations include ways to better maintain voter registration records with help from other agencies, making sure clerks and other election officials are better trained, and having policies in place for ballot processing and post-election audits. Common Cause Wisconsin Executive Director Jay Heck says he will have a careful eye on what happens in the coming months after the elections were deemed safe and secure from the LAB’s point of view.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission must report on their progress implementing these recommendations by March 31st. The Wisconsin Senate announced on Monday it would be launching its own investigation following in the footsteps of the Assembly which has been at work for the last several weeks.