Madison, WI – Today, Rep. Allen, along with Sen. Tomczyk, released a regular general election audit bill designed to increase trust in the election process through regular, random audits.
“We have all been in a situation where you know that your work will be examined by a boss or auditor. Though you have been working hard at your job, the news of an inspection or even a possible inspection leads you to make sure that all that your work is not just done but done well,” said Rep. Allen. “If this is true in any job, it should certainly be true in one of the most important jobs in our political system – running a free and fair election.”
Under the bill, the Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) would randomly select 4 counties (one of which must be in the top 10 most populous) and from there select one city and one village from each of those counties for an audit.
“By having a regular, random audit, we remove partisan motives for ordering an audit after an election,” stated Rep. Allen.
The bill also clarifies that the LAB could physically handle all election materials on-site without taking custody, which would solve an objection raised by certain cities during the 2020 election audit. Furthermore, the bill would have a daily fine for any non-compliance.
“If our elections really are fair and free then there is nothing to fear about audits, and they will only increase people’s trust in the process,” said Rep. Allen. “Audits are a regular part of business and non-profit organizations, because they demonstrate legitimacy. We all benefit from the integrity that audits provide.”
