The city of Madison has placed Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl on paid administrative leave as it continues to investigate why her office failed to count 193 absentee ballots in the November election.
The move comes less than three weeks before voters head to the polls for a spring election that will determine ideological control of the state Supreme Court.
City Attorney Michael Haas will serve as acting clerk on an interim basis while Witzel-Behl is on leave. He previously worked as administrator and legal counsel for the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said the city will provide additional resources to the clerk’s office ahead of the April 1 election. Her office said it won’t provide any additional details on “this internal personnel matter” until its investigation is complete.
“Given the nature of the issues being investigated, we felt this was a necessary step to maintain public confidence in the operations of our Clerk’s office,” Rhodes-Conway said. “The City of Madison places an incredibly high value on our ability to conduct elections to the highest standards, and will spare no City resource to ensure that each vote is counted for the upcoming election.”
Rhodes-Conway’s chief of staff, Sam Munger, said the additional help includes reassigning staff within the clerk’s office as needed, as well as reassigning other city staff to assist the clerk’s office.
The Elections Commission voted on Friday to hear depositions from Madison employees, including Witzel-Behl, to seek more information about the city’s failure to account for the absentee ballots that weren’t included in the canvass. During that hearing, Commission Chair Ann Jacobs, a Dem appointee, knocked Witzel-Behl for a “complete lack of leadership.’’
