Delays at Milwaukee’s Central Count Spark Frustration Amid Ballot Processing Slowdown

MILWAUKEE (VINnews) – As Election Day progresses, concerns are mounting over the pace of ballot counting at Central Count in the City of Milwaukee, where new election clerk Paulina Gutierrez is facing scrutiny for delays in the process.

Reports from the Baird Convention Center, the site of this year’s Central Count, indicate significant slowdowns, prompting calls for action from local officials and observers. Paid workers are reportedly milling around with little to do, and stacks of ballots await processing, yet only 4 of the 13 tabulators are being used at any given time. At moments, none are running.

An announcement projected that ballot counting could extend until 2-3 a.m. on November 6th, but observers note a lack of urgency among staff. Gutierrez, the official responsible for overseeing the operation, has not been seen at Central Count, raising further questions about the management of the process.

Additional concerns include reports of “skinny” ballots and an unusually high number of ballots requiring remaking, along with ballots arriving from incorrect wards. 

State law allows for ballots to be opened and tabulated starting at 7 a.m. However, operations did not commence until 9:38 a.m., more than two and a half hours late. This delay has exacerbated worries that the counting process could drag on far longer than necessary.