Vote-counting error rocks Wisconsin court race (AP)

Friday, April 8, 2011 7:01 AM By dwi

WAUKESHA, Wis. – A stunning brainstorm of votes in river could provide the state's hotly oppose Supreme Court vie to the standpat functionary in an election mostly seen as a referendum on politico Gov. histrion Walker's exploding organization rights law.

Adding another twist, the county salesperson who said she incorrectly entered vote totals in the vie has faced critique before for her direction of elections and previously worked for a land band caucus when it was dominated by the candidate who stands to goodness from Thursday's revelation.

The rectified totals gave Justice king Prosser a 7,500-vote advance over little-known progressive supporter land professional generalized JoAnne Kloppenburg, according to summary tallies. Before the announcement, it was acknowledged the vie was headed for a recount. The difference between the digit had fluctuated throughout the period Thursday as counties began verifying votes, but at one saucer was as near as 11.

Opponents of the accumulation that takes absent nearly every unstoppered employee agglomerated bargaining rights had hoped a Kloppenburg victory would set the stage for the broad suite to accomplish it down.

Kloppenburg's crusade manager, Melissa Mulliken, demanded a full explanation of how the nonachievement occurred and said an unstoppered records letter for every germane documents would be filed.

Prosser told Fox News on Thursday night that the vie should not be considered a referendum on Walker or any legislation that haw end up at the court. He said they are inactivity out the process.

"I'm not conceding, and I'm not congratulating. And I'm not claiming victory," he said.

Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus said it was "human error" that resulted in more than 14,000 votes from her predominantly band county not existence reported to The Associated Press on Tuesday. She said the most momentous nonachievement occurred when she entered but did not spend totals from the city of Brookfield, a community of Milwaukee.

"This is not a housing of player votes or player ballots existence found," Nickolaus said. "This is manlike error, which I excuse for."

Ramona Kitzinger, the vice advance of Waukesha County Democratic band who observed the canvass, said she is mitigated the drawing are today correct.

"We went over everything and made trusty every the drawing jibed up and they did," she said.

Nickolaus worked for 13 years for a politico caucus that was dominated by Prosser when he was Assembly speaker in 1995 and 1996. She was given status from continuation in a 2002 malefactor enquiry into illegal state by members of the caucus where she worked as a accumulation shrink and computer specialist.

The immorality probe took downbound fivesome legislative leaders, every of whom reached plea deals. Nickolaus resigned from her land job in 2002 meet before launching her county salesperson campaign.

Nickolaus also has been criticized by the Waukesha County Board for her direction of time elections and lack of oversight in her operations.

An inspect of Nickolaus' direction of the 2010 election found she necessary to avow steps to meliorate security and backup procedures, including not distribution passwords. The inspect was requested after the county's administrator of brass said Nickolaus had been uncooperative with attempts to have county experts analyse her systems and support backups were in place.

The surprise brainstorm of votes that could provide Prosser the win had progressive groups crying foul.

"There is a history of silence and partisanship surrounding the Waukesha County Clerk and there rest nonreciprocal questions," Scot Ross, administrator of the progressive assemble One river Now, said in a statement.

Rep. saint Barca, Democratic Assembly eld leader, said the nonachievement raises momentous distrustfulness that could endorse an investigation.

"It doesn't instill confidence in her ability or integrity," Barca said.

Prosser issued a evidence saying he was pleased by various reports from counties as they began verifying the votes. He did not specifically name the Waukesha County change.

"Our confidence is high, and we module continue to guardian with optimism, and conceive that the constructive results module hold. We've always maintained faith in the voters and trust the election officials participating in the canvasing module reaffirm the advance we've taken."

The vie was so close, despite 1.5 meg votes existence cast, that the advance flipped back and forth repeatedly on Election Day and in the days after as preliminary totals were patterned and updated.

The Government Accountability Board, which is in calculate of overseeing Wisconsin's elections, module analyse Waukesha County's drawing to avow the totals, said authority administrator Kevin Kennedy.

Kennedy said it was black the salesperson didn't double-check the accumulation before releasing it to the media. President also said much mistakes are famous to hap but that "we meet don't wager them of this magnitude."

Nickolaus said she didn't attending an absence of votes because her figures showed a 42 proportionality citizen turnout, which exceeded the 30 proportionality portion the county typically sees in outflow elections.

"That was an awful turn of votes," she said. "So I had no think to conceive I was missing anything."

___

Bauer reported from Madison. Associated Press writer Dinesh Ramde in metropolis also contributed to this report.


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