Wisconsin Election Commission Investigates Green Bay Duplicate Ballot Errors

The Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) ordered an investigation into the Green Bay City Clerk's office on July 9, 2026, after duplicate absentee ballots were issued in two recent elections. The city admitted to sending 152 duplicate ballots during the April election and approximately 244 additional ballots for the August primary. The investigation follows a complaint filed by the Republican Party of Wisconsin and findings that the clerk's office likely violated state election law.

As a result of the errors, City Clerk Celestine Jeffreys has been placed on administrative leave. This marks the third time in four years that WEC staff found probable cause that Jeffreys violated the law. Commissioner Ann Jacobs described the repeated mistakes as "unconscionable," noting that Green Bay avoided using the state's WisVote system, which contains failsafes to prevent such occurrences.

Mayor Eric Genrich stated that the errors are "unacceptable," though he maintained that the security of the electoral process is not compromised. The commission has required the city to provide a detailed explanation by July 31 regarding how the errors occurred and how ballots will be tabulated, with a broader plan to prevent future recurrences due by August 14.