Overview

• Law Forward filed the lawsuit on behalf of eight voters and is seeking class certification to represent all 193 whose absentee ballots were not counted.
• The complaint targets the City of Madison, the clerk’s office, former Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl, and Deputy Clerk Jim Verbick, and seeks compensatory and punitive damages.
• A Wisconsin Elections Commission investigation concluded the voters were disenfranchised, found probable legal violations, and ordered procedural and security reforms without pursuing criminal charges.
• Court filings say the uncounted ballots were found in sealed courier bags after Election Day but were not added before results were certified.
• The suit does not name a dollar figure, though a prior claim sought $175,000 per affected voter, and election-law experts say damages for voting-rights violations are rarely awarded.