Relating to: performing risk-limiting audits and eliminating the process for removing excess ballots from the vote count. (FE)

A Wisconsin bill mandating **risk-limiting audits** for elections has stalled after failing to advance beyond initial introduction in the state Legislature. The measure, Assembly Bill 1212, sought to require county clerks to conduct these statistical post-election reviews on the highest-vote contest and a randomly selected race before certifying results, while banning the controversial "drawdown" practice of randomly discarding excess ballots.[1][3][5] Republican Rep. Scott Krug sponsored the proposal, inspired by concerns over election discrepancies raised in investigative reports.[3]

Risk-limiting audits provide statistical assurance that vote tallies are accurate by hand-checking a sample of ballots, expanding if discrepancies arise, unlike Wisconsin's current non-binding audits of about 10% of reporting units overseen by the Wisconsin Elections Commission.[9] The bill also aimed to replace drawdowns—criticized for potentially discarding valid votes—with requirements to document and explain excess ballots, aligning Wisconsin more closely with other states' practices.[3][5] Though formally introduced, it did not pass amid the 2025-2026 session schedule set by Senate Joint Resolution 1.[6]

For Milwaukee residents, this matters because it touches election integrity in a battleground city with high-stakes races, where robust audits could build trust amid ongoing debates over voting accuracy.[3][9] Without the bill, local officials continue relying on existing audits that don't alter results, leaving questions about discrepancies unresolved and fueling partisan divides.

Lawmakers may revisit the issue in future sessions, especially with 2026 elections looming, as calls for voter roll audits and other reforms persist.[7][11]