Wisconsin Recount...

Eighteen days since we all voted in the Presidential election. There are recounts ongoing here in Wisconsin in two counties. Dane County and Milwaukee County are the focus here in Wisconsin.

Trump objects to counting thousands of Wisconsin ballots

The recount of the presidential election in Wisconsin’s two most heavily Democratic counties began Friday with President Donald Trump’s campaign seeking to discard tens of thousands of absentee ballots that it alleged should not have been counted.

One of the notable issues here in Wisconsin is that of the designation of a voter who requests an absentee ballot as "indefinitely confined." Note that this is not a recent designation due to COVID-19. From the Wisconsin Election Commission page -

This guidance is based upon applicable statutes. An elector who is indefinitely confined because of age, physical illness or infirmity or is disabled for an indefinite period may by signing a statement to that effect require that an absentee ballot be sent to the elector automatically for every election. Wis. Stat. § 6.86(2)(a). The absentee ballot request form asks voters to certify to their indefinitely confined status. Statutes do not establish the option to require proof or documentation from indefinitely confined voters. Clerks may tactfully verify with voters that the voter understood the indefinitely confined status designation when they submitted their request but they may not request or require proof.

The recent guidance for this type of voter can be found here

Looking at the history of the “indefinitely confined” voter we go back 10 years of applications.

Year of Initial Request / Number of Voters

2010 / 1216

2011 / 881

2012 / 3298

2013 / 626

2014 / 3112

2015 / 972

2016 / 8989

2017 / 2547

2018 / 14178

2019 / 4890

2020 / 169282

The designation for a voter claiming “indefinitely confined” is by the nature of the designation, indefinite.

Note the exponential jump of requests between the most recent presidential elections. There is an increase of 1783.2 % for “indefinitely confined” requests for ballots. While not being a mathematician or data expert, common sense tells me while looking at the numbers that something is off here.

It will be interesting to see how this all progresses.

“There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of the law and in the name of justice.”

-Charles de Montesquieu