City of Madison faces class action lawsuit over missing absentee ballots in 2024 election
A legal lawsuit has been filed against the city of Madison by the nonprofit organization Law Forward on March 6, advocating for four individuals who claim their absentee ballots were not counted in the 2024 presidential election. This lawsuit is looking for $175,000 for each plaintiff to be compensated due to the unreported ballots, stating that these ballots prevented the voters from exercising their right to vote in the November 2024 general election, and as such, the city holds responsibility.
The issue of uncounted absentee ballots was made public by Dylan Brogan, the city communications manager, in December, with 193 neglected ballots discovered by the City Clerk’s Office. Brogan made clear that these outstanding ballots would not have influenced any of the results on the election ballot. Law Forward, in their press release on March 6, emphasized the importance of safeguarding individuals’ voting rights. Scott Thompson, one of the legal representatives for the plaintiffs, highlighted that Law Forward’s goal is to protect the 193 voters who were denied their right to vote through no fault of their own. These actions are not about targeting the city solely but sending a clear message to anyone who interferes with the voting rights of any individual in Wisconsin.
Though Thompson acknowledged that the city generally does an admirable job of upholding the right to vote, he mentioned that this legal action serves to remind everyone about the importance of preserving voter rights in Wisconsin and beyond. The critical point to consider is that most of the ignored ballots seem to come from wards centered around University Hospital and a student neighborhood near Frances Street and Bassett Street. Thompson underlined the significance of addressing these issues, especially since the uncounted votes are largely attributed to students – a demographic that will be affected by voter policies for years to come.
While the city has yet to respond to the lawsuit, the Wisconsin Election Commission (WEC) decided to conduct depositions of the Madison election officials to identify lapses in the reporting system that led to the uncounted absentee ballots. The commission also took steps to send updated guidelines to clerks throughout the state to ensure proper handling of absentee ballots ahead of the April 1 elections. Thompson expressed approval for these initial steps, yet emphasizes that more action is imperative to rectify the disenfranchisement many experienced in Madison. Clarifying that while voting in Wisconsin is generally secure, it is concerning to witness a number of people who were not able to vote in the city.
