The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.

MADISON, Wis. – Almost cheerfully so, Harry Wait accepted his sentencing Tuesday on a mix of felony and misdemeanor counts tied to his 2022 ordering of absentee ballots in the names of two public officials.

And why not? Instead of jail time urged by prosecutors, Union Grove resident Wait received three years of probation for two fraud counts and one count of identity theft. It was a slap on the wrist for knowingly engaging in an unlawful act of civil disobedience.

Leaving aside whether a fraud committed to make a political point is any less of a fraud, the incident remains a rallying point for 2020 “election deniers” who believe America’s voting systems have more holes than a block of Swiss cheese – if they’re not outright rigged.

While no system is perfect, the decentralized administration of all elections in Wisconsin comes with multiple checks and balances – mainly because much of the work is done by ordinary people in cities, counties, villages and towns. These supervised poll workers are largely volunteers accountable to their own communities.

Here’s a summary of the Wisconsin process from a recent meeting of the non-partisan “Pillars of the Community,” which works in seven states. The Wisconsin session included election officials from municipal, county and state governments.

  • Wisconsin is the most decentralized election system in the nation, with 1,943 clerks at the municipal, town and county levels.  Most state systems are much more “top down.”
  • The Wisconsin Election Commission has six members, three Republicans and three Democrats. At least two must be former local clerks.
  • No elections rules pass the commission without at least four votes. The Wisconsin Legislature also can pass election laws to be signed or vetoed by the governor.
  • WEC appoints its administrator, currently Meagan Wolfe, who has no vote on the commission. All commission meetings are public. It evaluates nomination papers (such as the June 1 filing deadline for this fall’s elections), tests and certifies local systems, offers training and maintains a voter database with information entered by local clerks.
  • WEC does not staff polling places, create or handle ballots or report election night results. 
  • County clerks are elected. They design and distribute ballots, post unofficial results on election night, conduct most recounts and sometimes contract with municipal clerks for data help, training and equipment, such as voting machines. They are often liaisons to the roughly 1,200 towns included in the statewide 1,943 total.
  • Some municipal and town clerks are elected; some are appointed. A typical general election is staffed by 30,000 to 40,000 poll workers in roughly 4,000 locations. That includes inspectors and election “observers,” who can watch from three feet to eight feet away from a polling booth.
  • Local poll workers check identities against official poll books. They also help set up polling places along with many other same-day details. Electronic voting machines provide a printed document saved for inspection purposes if there are questions.
  • The WEC is updated daily on possible ineligible voters, including people who have died, who are non-citizens, or who are otherwise undocumented. There is coordination with other states and federal agencies such the Department of Homeland Security and its Immigration and Customs Enforcement service.
  • Absentee ballots must arrive by 8 p.m. on Election Day.  Wisconsin is one of the few states that does not allow for absentee ballot processing until Election Day. That can extend the counting process into the wee hours of the next day. It’s one reason why unofficial results lag exit polls.

Someone intent on committing voter fraud may succeed – but, like Wait, they can be caught. Other mistakes can happen, but Wisconsin’s system of checks and balances helps to reduce unforced errors.

Why does it matter? Voter participation in a democracy can rise or fall depending on confidence in the integrity of the system. There are secondary effects, as well, such as businesses that may want to relocate in Wisconsin knowing they’re not setting up shop in an unstable electoral environment.

Elections in Wisconsin are largely run by your neighbors, not partisans on the right or left. There’s some comfort in knowing that.

Still is past president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. He is an adviser to Competitive Wisconsin Inc.