I love the poster - Kloppenburg get over it. You lost.
Weren't the ballot bags opened by the canvessers?

A challenge in court - will this never end??????

All bags are supposed to be sealed. At best Waukesha county has shown the sloppiest procedures through this entire thing. Everyone living in Waukesha county should be embarrassed and calling for resignations.

The bags ARE sealed and some bags had gaps because too many ballots were put in each bag. The gap in question was larger than others that were disputed. Check the ballots against the numbers from the machines. No discrepancy = no problem. But Kloppenburg team will delay the concession speech as long as possible. PROSSER victory will not be overturned.

Oh, PLEASE can we get this over with. Seems a simple thing to me - How many voters were there? How many ballots are there? That alone should tell the story. If there were 14,000 or so more ballots than voters who showed up, then we have a problem. If not, END OF STORY!

I just can't believe that more common sense can't prevail in this recount. Who cares if there are openings in the bags if the number of ballots equal the number of votes reported in this election? THIS IS RIDICULOUS--and shows what a HORRIBLE, CRAZY Judge Ms. Kloppenburg would have been.

Talk about dodging a bullet! Just imagine what a miserable jurist Joanne Kloppenberg would be. She "rushed" to judgment declaring herself a winner with an unofficial 200+ lead and then wants a recount when she is officially 7000 behind. A dupe that is hand fed her talking points from her union thug buddies! And make no mistake; she and her buddies would happily disenfranchise all the voters necessary in order to win. You are a loser Joanne, not just the election but in general!!!

As a non-union Kloppenburg volunteer for the Waukesha recount when it first started, I was actually impressed by Joanne Kloppenburg's instructions to volunteers for handling ballots. Namely, if intent could be determined for any questionable ballot, regardless of whom the intent was for, it should be counted; that we didn't want to disenfranchise anybody. I have not been at the recount this week, with its proliferation of bags that do not display a secure chain of custody, but even last week I was concerned (not convinced, but concerned). Any bag that either does not have numbers on the seal, bag, and inspection report violates the entire assurance intended by that requirement. Any bag with openings that allows even two fingers to enter, allows for the possibility of being stuffed. I doubt this recount will find Kloppenburg the winner. And that's ok. However, this recount should inform changes in process and perhaps materials used. For all our sakes.

@ Randy
of course PROSSER won - Kloppenburg should never have declared herself the winner and needs to concede. Hopefully new policies will be in place after all this chaos. Perhaps the votes should be totaled the following day instead of at midnight-1:00am after workers are exhausted.

Having just come through a Canadian Federal election, I cringe at what happens in the USA. I was a scrutineer, an official position as representing a candidate. I had to submit official scrutineer papers to the District Returning Officer. I looked after three of the nine polls within my polling station. Every hour, I was given an official list, numbers only, of the people who had cast their votes (we called them bingo sheets). Based on that number and a cross-check, I was able at 7:00 p.m. to call the people on my list who had not yet voted. At 9;30, when the polling station closed I was able to observe the count and discuss with the two people at each table any votes in doubt (very few). At the conclusion of the count, I was given an official count of each poll, signed by an official and verified by me and representatives of the other Parties. Incidentally, there are 19 official parties in Canada. Only five of them took part in my City. All election materials were then sealed in a box and returned to the central authority in the City. I was out of the polling station shortly after 10:00 p.m. and on my way to the victory celebration. Very short. Very sweet. Very simple. And none of this stupid nonsense that seems to be the norm in the United States.

I commend the people outside the recount, asking to not have their votes taken away! Way to go people!!

@ Randy
The AP is UNOFFICIAL - and Kloppenburg knows that. She is arrogant.

Stella: Canadians have to produce their voters registration card, sent by mail to them, along with one piece of photo ID. If they do not have a card, they have to produce two pieces of ID, one with a valid address (such as a utilities bill, and one with a photograph). Having proved satisfactory, they have to sign a form and swear an oath. All being properly done, they can then go their poll and vote.

@ Randy -not with 200 votes

@ Randy
did you really read the Canadian procedure????? They need a voter registration card - that U.S./Wisconsin does NOT require at this time............... but hopefully will be in place soon.

Randy, I don't recall any other candidate in history claiming victory on election night when ahead by 204 votes!

@Marga you state that JK said "if intent could be determined for any questionable ballot, regardless of whom the intent was for, it should be counted; that we didn't want to disenfranchise anybody". Then how do you explain away the disenfranchising of the 18 nuns?

http://host.madison.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_f3d3c8c4-775b-11e0-a1a1-001cc4c002e0.html
"_The canvas board_ chose to discard the ballots. That was the wrong decision.
The Prosser campaign objected. The Kloppenburg campaign did not. In fact, both should have objected."

So why is this being reported across conservative blogs as 'liberal lawyers getting nuns' votes tossed'?

As to why the Kloppenburg campaign did not object, I have no idea. Precedent, perhaps? But it does not seem to have been at their behest, nor was it their decision.

As I understand it, the 18 nuns ballots were not counted because there were no witness signatures, as required, on the ballots. Frankly, my own opinion is that the clerk who delivered the ballots in Praire du Sac should have spent another extra moment explaining what was required to the nuns, since they all could have witnessed for one another. If you take a moment to read the GAB recount manual, you'll see that there are set procedures for what ballots are to be counted and which are not.

The main objections I have to the Voter Id requirements that are being proposed is that they would make it unrealistic for some seniors and many lower income people and students to vote. The expense of keeping an address updated on one's Id would amount to a poll tax (hmmm, groceries this week or update my Id so I can vote?). And frankly, I remember being a student who did have a car. Usually, my driver's license was either set to my parent's address or about one address behind. Remember, students are still learning time management skills, so expecting them to keep their addresses updated between elections, especially non-Presidential, more frequent elections, just isn't realistic.

Marga, that is the old Democrat talking point. We live in a new millennium and people have to have an ID in order to function. They will be free to those that cannot afford them. There will be many outlets that will help those attain an ID if they do not have the means. Quite honestly young people in college that cannot figure out how to have the proper ID to participate should probably be spending more time on their studies! Seniors & those "low income" people have ID in order to have Medicare, Social Security, rent assistance and health care and if they don't now would be a good time to assimilate them in to society.

Poll tax...I cant tell you how sick and tired I am about hearing this from libs. I need to show a picture ID just to deposit a check in my own savings account. I imagine that welfare recipients would need to do the same. I know, why don't we just call it an "investment" instead. Thats what your savior-in-chief would call it.

I don't care how old, sick or poor someone is....it just seems impossible to function in today's society without some form of a picture ID. Good lord, its a small price to pay for freedom. I tell you what, collect a list of names of the people without a photo ID and I'll buy them one, as long as I can advertise my business on the other side.

I had to provide proof of identity when I voted this spring because I recently got married & although my address did not change, my last name did, I actually could have voted twice had I come back a few hours later & used my maiden name...nobody would have checked....that is just not right.

One thing to keep in mind. The ONLY people that had access to the Brookfield ballot bags in transport to Waukesha were UNIONIZED city highway workers. WHO had a reason to trash the ballot bags of a heavily republican town causing them to risk being disallowed/disenfranchised/suspected?

Just sayin'

A couple of more points on the Canadian system. You are required to be a Canadian citizen to vote. However, you cannot be asked to provide proof of that citizenship. A serious flaw in my mind.

The voter registration cards are generated from information gathered from your income tax filing. It is nothing more intrusive than ticking a box on your tax return.

Our system of election financing is miles ahead of yours. Only private individuals can contribute to a candidate. Neither lobbyists, companies nor unions can donate in either cash or "donations in kind".

My City has a population of just over 150,000. Each candidate can spend no more than around $70,000 on his/her campaign. Up till now, the government provides $2 per vote cast for each candidate, but that is about to be scrapped when our Prime Minister forms his first majority government.

When i moved to Wisconsin from Michigan I was blown away by a couple of seemingly minor differences between the two states.

How you register to vote and lack of controls over the State ID or Drivers License.

In Michigan you can register when you get your license or change of address. Also in Michigan they keep the old license. In Wisconsin they don't use the Motor/Voter laws to allow for registration at the DMV (maybe that will change soon) and you can register at the polls moments before voting with nothing more that a utility bill less than 30 days old. Pretty easy to promote fraud if you want to.

As far as the arguments about "do i eat today... or get an address change..." that argument is pure non-sense. If a person is making that choice... it is by choice. They can get a FREE state ID card which they need to do just about anything else, like cash a check or open a bank account.

While Randy is right about not having picture IDs for many government entitlements as well as health insurance verification at a medical clinic, I have to ask... SO what?!

How hard would it be for someone to obtain a picture ID if they don't have a drivers license? Not very hard in my opinion. I am certain that community organizers would give that senior a ride to the DMV just a quickly as they would to the polls.

@Randy

The reason for not wanting to include passports is that the address is where you lived at the time it was issued, not where you live now. There is a 10 year window for people to move with a passport. Besides the vast majority of people that can work through a passport application can also figure out how to get either a drivers license or a state ID.

Reason for student ID not being accepted is that in general students are in temporary living quarters (9 months) and still have a permanent address elsewhere (typically their parents address). Way too much of an opportunity to absentee vote and show up at the polls at school and vote again. With better technology being applied to the voter registration process the double vote risk could be eliminated. However don't most students already have a drivers license? Or could easily obtain the FREE state ID?

So where would the risk of denying someone the right to vote by not accepting passports or student ID?

@Roy... Supposedly we have to be citizens of the US to vote as well. The problem is with the gaps in the system that do not protect that requirement of citizenship. It is not only gaps in ballot bags but gaps in the entire process that make fraud easier. With the rancor in elections today, it is inconceivable to me that voter fraud is not occurring. If we don't do something to insure the validity of the elections we will slide into a mock democracy.

Some of the things that need to be done

1. Makie sure that only citizens of the US, that currently live in Wisconsin AND reside in the community can be given a ballot to cast their vote in that precinct.
2. Insure the secrecy of the vote cast.
3. Insure the security of the ballots cast. Doesn't seem like that was done well in Brookfield from the pictures and i would be willing to bet that you could find more elsewhere.
4. Lot of room for improvement in how we tabulate ballots. The optical scanners seem to be OK, but why don't they upload their counts to a central location? The Canvass would then be able to audit and verify the uploaded results.

Lastly, your point about funding... Attempts have been made, McCain-Feingold being one of the more recent had serious unintended consequences. Now we have 3rd party adds from "The committee for believable BS " attacking candidates with lies and half-truths. That needs to be fixed too.

@Randy... Sorry for putting words in your mouth... It should have been @Lyle.

@Randy (really)...

I hear what you are saying about license and change of address being a hassle however the thought that the photo ID would disenfranchise anyone, intentially or not doesn't make sense. It would tend to limit the elections to those that care enought to do some "homework" first, but I think that would actually be good. Stop making it so simple to vote that those who on a whim (or bribe) decide to vote with no knowlege of what the candidates stand for or against and what issues need to be decided by ballot. The whole idea of public eduction was to allow for an informed electrate.

@Lyle... The problem with the 3rd party ads isn't the money so much as the lack of honesty in the ads. Digging up war records, judgements 30 years ago, etc. do not serve to inform the electrate. They are pure garbage. Also if for no other reason people change, where you or I stand some issues has probably been swayed by life experiences over 30 years. We may feel stronger about some things now that we were wishy-washy on befofre and visa vesa.

The holding the 3rd parties to a standard of truth sounds good, but would be hard to enforce. Even with the truth in advertising standares today, there are outragous claims being made that are not true at their core... but pass the standards.

I don't know how to get it undercontrol and still not infringe on the 1st adminment.

As far unions and dems fighting so hard now... I agree with you. But the money spicket that is being turned off is the Union political sponsorship of the Democratic party at the union members expense. And by extension the taxpayer in the case of public sector unions. The concept that the GOP are in the pockets of special intrestes and the Dems are not is upserd. What is GE... other than am major Democratic contributor... Any connection between GE and the Go Green light bulbs?

Or George Sorros or Warren Buffet.... couple of good ol' boy wall street types... If i sent any time on this I could probly produce a long list of protypical republicans who are democrats, and visa versa

The most disturbing question still unanswered is why were the NUMBERS on the tags of the ballot bags altered? These numbers are supposed to support the verification of the contents, and without the proper trail from ballot box to recount location, ANYTHING could have happened to those ballots. Security all along the routes of the ballots was sadly lacking, which means voters can be no confidence in the tallies of the votes within those bags. And why aren't the bags made to handle the number of ballots stored within them, so recount reviewers could easily have put their stamp of approval on an untampered product?

Wow. The Al "Fwanken" vote counting "fwauds: and Jimmy Carter Obama's thugocrats from Chicago weren't successful. Maybe there's hope for America after all. But hey, Klippety-Klop leftist Kloppenburg, thanks for wasting ONE MILLION dollars to stroke your ego.

You lost. Get over it. And note about us conservatives: We're here, we're NOT queer, and we're NEVER, EVER going away.

Down with the leftist fascists!

JoAnne Kloppenburg said, she was ready and saw herself in the robe of a judge...
So now she has lost; does that mean she was "Dis-Robed".
Frank R.

HELLO Wisconsin…. You guys count votes like we do. Hey is Jed up there.. Do not understand it. People know they can trust republicans. Why are the repubs just keep having recounts? We all know a missing bag will pop up full of republican votes that was never counted and be done with it. RIGHT?? So lets get back to RECALL… Jan.13 2012, Walker’s day will live in infamy . Wish I could be there for all this fun. Better than football games.. Repubs going down by the bow. Ya’ll be sure to take pictures so we can pass them around at the next Tea Party…
Bernie

HELLO Wisconsin…. You guys count votes like we do. Hey is Jed up there.. Do not understand it. People know they can trust republicans. Why are the repubs just keep having recounts? We all know a missing bag will pop up full of republican votes that was never counted and be done with it. RIGHT?? So lets get back to RECALL… Jan.13 2012, Walker’s day will live in infamy . Wish I could be there for all this fun. Better than football games.. Repubs going down by the bow. Ya’ll be sure to take pictures so we can pass them around at the next Tea Party…
Lets liven up this party Lets start a new party a Labor Party. Oh Yeah

Bernard, get your facts straight.... JoAnn, the Dem, called for the recount. There were no "missing" bags. The media had Brookfield numbers on election night; an incompetent clerk didn't post them properly. Only good that can come from all this costly nonsense once Prosser is finally on the bench is that everyone will remember what Chaos the Democrats bring to our state and vote the rest of the bums out!

Chaos does not find truth, chaos creates doubt and that has been the desire of the Kloppenburg campaign. No doubt about an incompetent clerk. Only in government can the incompetent survive and advance-what is that saying, "to their highest level of incompetence". Prosser was poised to probably call for a recall when the difference was 200 some votes. Kloppenburg called for a statewide recall with a 7000 down count. The problem surfaced in Brookfield and that is where the recount should have started. I guess when money is no object (read that to be other people’s money i.e. the tax payers) why not spend it? What this all does clearly show is that #1-Kloppenburg is a shill for the unions and the Democrats and this is supposed to be a non-partisan seat, #2-Kloppenburg does not exhibit reasonable judgment based upon fact and #3-Kloppenburg would make a miserable jurist because she does not get that you weigh all the evidence before you charge forward. A judge should not be ruling in a manner that matches the outcome he or she "wishes" would happen.