State election officials to review court votes

Madison (AP) – Wisconsin’s chief election official has dispatched staffers to Waukesha County after the clerk there announced she had 14,000 more votes than she reported on election night.

Kathy Nickolaus said “human error” resulted in the miscount there. The change gave incumbent Justice David Prosser a 7,500-vote edge over challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg.

Government Accountability Board Director Kevin Kennedy said Friday he has sent board staff to Waukesha County to review the county’s process and verify the results. He says he has instructed Nickolaus to make returns available for public inspection and he believes she is “taking steps to ensure transparency and public confidence.” Nickolaus didn’t not immediately return a message Friday.

County clerks across the state are canvassing their numbers from Tuesday’s elections. Kennedy says they have until April 15 to finish.