Here's how votes are counted in Milwaukee and when to expect election results in Wisconsin
Voters' work ends when they cast their ballots in Tuesday's midterm election ― but for election administrators, the work is far from over.
"It's a busy time for us, and post-election we are not done," said Portage City Clerk Marie Moe, who is also president of the Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association.
A series of steps and deadlines follow the closure of the polls at 8 p.m. on Nov. 8 and continue through Dec. 1.
Potentially complicating the post-election work: A recount is not out of the question, with the latest Marquette University poll showing close races between Republican Tim Michels and Democratic incumbent Tony Evers for governor and Republican incumbent Ron Johnson and Democrat Mandela Barnes for U.S. Senate.
Here's what happens after polls close.
8:01 p.m. on Nov. 8: Vote totals checked, absentee ballots continue to be counted
Don't expect election results minutes after the polls close, election officials warned.
"It doesn't work that way, and it doesn't mean that there's a problem. It just means that (election workers) are being diligent in their jobs," Moe said.
Those workers are still finishing their duties after polls close, Moe said.
They get the vote totals from each machine that tallies votes, do paperwork and verify that the total number of voters is equal to the total number of people on the poll list, she said.
They may also still be processing absentee ballots. State law does not allows clerks to begin counting absentee ballots before 7 a.m. on Election Day, and counting absentee ballots takes longer than processing votes at the polls.
In past elections, that counting has stretched late into the night or into the early morning hours.
Milwaukee and other communities also count their absentee ballots in a single location known as "central count," which means the results of the absentee ballots are often reported after the results from polling places.
From the archive:As expected, Wisconsin's election results not fully reported on Election Day 2020 due to surge in absentee ballots
Voting absentee is about 300% to 400% above pre-pandemic levels. Despite the influx of ballots, Milwaukee election officials hope to report their results by 11 p.m. on Nov. 8.
On election night, Milwaukee County updates its website to show which central count locations have reported their absentee ballots and which remain outstanding.
It is at the county where municipalities' results will be added together, showing unofficial vote totals.
In the days after the election, municipal clerks will deliver physical election materials, including ballots, tally sheets, inspectors' statements and applicable envelopes to the county clerks.
Nov. 10: Milwaukee County begins its canvass to audit the election results
The Milwaukee County Election Commission was set to meet at 9 a.m. on Nov. 10 and the county would begin its canvass, or audit, of the election results, county Election Commission Director Michelle Hawley said.
Those conducting the canvass will be working, for instance, to ensure the numbers of voters reflected in tallies from voting machines match those in the poll books, she said.
"We’re looking in a couple of different places to validate that all those numbers match," she said, adding that they'll also be checking that they have all the paperwork the county is required to maintain by state law.
The canvass is open to the public every day and will take place at the Milwaukee County Courthouse in Room G7.
Hawley expected the canvass to be finished by Nov. 18, four days ahead of the Nov. 22 deadline.
Nov. 22: Final, certified election results due to Wisconsin Election Commission
The deadline for county clerks to send the Wisconsin Elections Commission a certified statement of the election results for state and federal offices is 14 days after the general election, or Nov. 22.
Those statements provide the votes for each elected office or referendum.
Nov. 28: The latest day for a recount petition
For statewide and many federal elections, the deadline for the losing candidate to petition for a recount is 5 p.m. on the third business day following the day on which the Wisconsin Elections Commission receives the last statement from a county board of canvassers for the election.
Assuming the last county board of canvassers sends its certified statement of the election results to the Wisconsin Elections Commission on Nov. 22, the deadline to petition for a recount would be Nov. 28 because of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Under state law, candidates can request recounts only if they lose by 1 percentage point or less in an election with at least 4,000 votes total.
If the commission receives a valid recount petition and any required payment, the commission then must order the appropriate county boards of canvassers to start the recount.
Dec. 1: The Wisconsin Elections Commission's deadline to certify the election
Dec. 1 is the last day for the Wisconsin Elections Commission chairperson to certify the election.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here's how votes are counted and when to expect election results
