### Milwaukee Recounts 31,000 Ballots After Tabulation Machine Error

Milwaukee election officials are set to recount approximately 31,000 ballots after a sealing issue with tabulation machines was identified at the city’s central vote-counting location, as announced by city spokesman Jeff Fleming on Tuesday. The recount may delay the final ballot count by one to three hours.

Fleming assured the public that the recount is conducted as a precautionary measure. “We have no reason to believe that there was any compromise to any of the machines," he said. "However, due to human error involving improper sealing, we will zero the machines out and rerun the ballots that had already been processed."

Caroline Reinwald, representing the Milwaukee Election Commission, clarified that the mishap involved the tabulation machines’ doors not being properly closed. Initially, city officials had anticipated that the final count might extend into the early morning hours before the error was discovered.

Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee criticized Milwaukee's handling of absentee ballots. "This is an unacceptable example of incompetent election administration in a key swing state," stated RNC Chairman Michael Whatley and Co-Chair Lara Trump. "Voters deserve better, and we unequivocally call on Milwaukee officials to do their jobs and count ballots quickly and effectively. Anything less undermines voter confidence."

In response, the Milwaukee Election Commission maintained confidence in the integrity of the election but opted for a recount to ensure full transparency. “To eliminate any doubt,” the decision was made with input from both Republican and Democratic representatives. The Commission’s statement reiterated the priority placed on the accuracy of Milwaukee's election results, even without a precise estimate of the delay length.

Under Wisconsin law, municipalities cannot begin counting absentee ballots until 7 a.m. on Election Day. A bipartisan legislative effort that would have permitted ballot processing to commence a day earlier was previously blocked by the Republican-controlled Senate.

Milwaukee officials are committed to delivering accurate election results and have taken steps to correct the tabulation error while maintaining transparency and public trust in the election process.