MADISON (WKOW) – A Trump campaign lawyer unsuccessfully argued Tuesday for removing more than 17,000 Madison City ballots. After a brief hearing, the Dane County Canvassers Board rejected the campaign’s objection to the vote with a 2-1 vote.
During the countdown to Monona Terrace, Jump Troupis, Trump’s campaign lawyer, said the “Democracy in the Park” events held in Madison City Parks before election day were classified as incorrect personally missing votes. Troupis had previously argued that all personal missing votes should be discarded; the Bar Association also rejected this objection.
According to Troupis, because the city did not separate the ballots received, the only fair procedure was to have 17,271 ballots drawn or thrown away – it is estimated that all votes were dropped at the events.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and former Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) sent a letter to the city in September alleging the events would be illegal.
The city moved forward with the event; Republican lawmakers have not taken any legal action in response.
A Biden campaign lawyer, as well as a lawyer representing the city of Madison, argued that the events were not personal votes because people were not allowed to receive or cast votes.
They argued that even if the events were judged to be incorrect, the right answer would never allow them again, instead of separating more than 17,000 Madison voters from them.
People could register to vote, employees could witness the application / envelope of those absent, or submit a missing ballot that had already been completed and closed.
Danish county clerk Scott McDonell said the events meant a “human box”. The majority of the board was in favor, rejecting Trump’s objection by a 2 to 1 vote.
McDonell said earlier he hoped he would start counting the Madison City ballots on Tuesday, but from Tuesday night, the Dane County recount fell behind schedule and McDonell said the vote count would begin on Wednesday.
McDonell said earlier that his goal was to complete the full recount by Sunday, November 29th.
Following the board’s rejection, Troupis said he wanted the audience to watch the live broadcasts of the recount, appreciating the work of the scoreboards and volunteers who worked in Wisconsin on the election.
