BREAKING: Computer Error Could Give Prosser 7,381 More Votes, Victory
After Tuesday night's Wisconsin Supreme Court election, a computer error in heavily Republican Waukesha County failed to send election results for the entire City of Brookfield to the Associated Press. The error, revealed today, would give incumbent Supreme Court Justice David Prosser a net 7,381 votes against his challenger, attorney Joanne Kloppenburg. On Wednesday, Kloppenburg declared victory after the AP reported she finished the election with a 204-vote lead, out of nearly 1.5 million votes cast.
On election night, AP results showed a turnout of 110,000 voters in Waukesha County -- well short of the 180,000 voters that turned out last November, and 42 percent of the county's total turnout. By comparison, nearly 90 percent of Dane County voters who cast a ballot in November turned out to vote for Kloppenburg.
Prior to the election, Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus was heavily criticized for her decision to keep the county results on an antiquated personal computer, rather than upgrade to a new data system being utilized statewide. Nickolaus cited security concerns for keeping the data herself -- yet when she reported the data, it did not include the City of Brookfield, whose residents cast nearly 14,000 votes.
Throughout the day Thursday, official canvass numbers flipped the lead back and forth between Prosser and Kloppenburg. While many believed a recount was inevitable, the addition of the Brookfield votes for Prosser could push the justice's lead beyond the legal threshold that would trigger an automatic recount. Under state law, Kloppenburg could still ask for a recount up to three days after the official canvass, but would have to pay for it herself.
"Waukesha County officials have announced a press conference for 5:30 CST."
More details as they become available.
-- Christian Schneider is a senior fellow at the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute.
We now return you to your narrative...
Hat Tip: NRO via Ace of Spades




Comments (39)
Klopp is done, stick a fork... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Baggi | April 7, 2011 7:01 PM | Score: 21 (21 votes cast)
Klopp is done, stick a fork in her. This is too many votes to make up through ACORN fraud.
I almost suspect that this was a rope a dope. That someone in Wisconsin knew that the Democrats and their friends in ACORN were going to closely watch the vote count and try to win this by a slim margin.
So they held back, "accidentaly" 14k total votes.
Now that prosser is ahead by 7k votes, it's going to be really hard for them to find that many more votes.
Specially since they already had to find a bunch to get her a couple hundred votes in the lead.
This is a huge win for Walker and the tax payers of Wisconsin.
1. Posted by Baggi | April 7, 2011 7:01 PM |
Score: 21 (21 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 19:01
2. Posted by GarandFan | April 7, 2011 7:01 PM | Score: 17 (19 votes cast)
Well the Democrats now have 'a firm number'. The number of votes they have to "find" in order for Kloppenburg to "win" the election.
2. Posted by GarandFan | April 7, 2011 7:01 PM |
Score: 17 (19 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 19:01
3. Posted by 419 | April 7, 2011 7:03 PM | Score: -24 (32 votes cast)
Well, isn't that convenient? I'm sure there's no shenanigans involved there.
3. Posted by 419 | April 7, 2011 7:03 PM |
Score: -24 (32 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 19:03
4. Posted by warchild | April 7, 2011 7:08 PM | Score: -27 (35 votes cast)
WOW what a coincidence! Who would have thought that a omputer error could have occured? It just so happens that the computer error may have happened because a Republican County Clerk was keeping the vote tallying software on her personal PC and refused to have it audited.
Hmm, that sho' is interesting.
4. Posted by warchild | April 7, 2011 7:08 PM |
Score: -27 (35 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 19:08
5. Posted by warchild | April 7, 2011 7:08 PM | Score: -25 (29 votes cast)
WOW what a coincidence! Who would have thought that a omputer error could have occured? It just so happens that the computer error may have happened because a Republican County Clerk was keeping the vote tallying software on her personal PC and refused to have it audited.
Hmm, that sho' is interesting.
5. Posted by warchild | April 7, 2011 7:08 PM |
Score: -25 (29 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 19:08
6. Posted by Justrand | April 7, 2011 7:11 PM | Score: 21 (23 votes cast)
Excellent result...and the Dem Canvas Board member confirmed the result moments ago!
Game...Set...Match...PROSSER!
And freedom!
6. Posted by Justrand | April 7, 2011 7:11 PM |
Score: 21 (23 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 19:11
7. Posted by PjayKC | April 7, 2011 7:27 PM | Score: 16 (18 votes cast)
Nice to see one of these mistakes work for the Republicans for a change!
7. Posted by PjayKC | April 7, 2011 7:27 PM |
Score: 16 (18 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 19:27
8. Posted by GarandFan | April 7, 2011 7:41 PM | Score: 21 (23 votes cast)
News Flash!
Michael Moore is upset that the counties are conducting a canvass to make sure that votes were counted correctly. According to Mikey this is unnecessary/unfair because “Kloppenburg has already declared victory!"
8. Posted by GarandFan | April 7, 2011 7:41 PM |
Score: 21 (23 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 19:41
9. Posted by retired military | April 7, 2011 8:00 PM | Score: 20 (22 votes cast)
"According to Mikey this is unnecessary/unfair because “Kloppenburg has already declared victory!"
"
Well I declare victory in the 2012 Presidential race. That's right. I won. They now call me Mr President.
9. Posted by retired military | April 7, 2011 8:00 PM |
Score: 20 (22 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 20:00
10. Posted by 914 | April 7, 2011 8:01 PM | Score: 9 (11 votes cast)
I guess Barriknikov will have to get them diebold's there quicker then liketty split.
wartantrumchild-
"Hmm, that sho' is interesting."
Get the shit out of your mouth while you type! Or is that something else your sucking on?
10. Posted by 914 | April 7, 2011 8:01 PM |
Score: 9 (11 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 20:01
11. Posted by Caesar Augustus | April 7, 2011 8:06 PM | Score: 13 (17 votes cast)
Well, given that at least several thousand 'votes' for the communist undoubtedly were cast by dead people, recidivist felons, and people who went senile over a decade ago, not to mention the many thousands of votes in her favor by empty-headed children who aren't old enough even to rent a car, it's only fair that a material number of actual votes for Prosser are counted, albeit somewhat delayed.
Bad news for unions and anti-American leftists. Good news for Wisconsin and free and fair elections.
11. Posted by Caesar Augustus | April 7, 2011 8:06 PM |
Score: 13 (17 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 20:06
12. Posted by proof | April 7, 2011 8:12 PM | Score: 12 (14 votes cast)
Since the usual Democrat M.O. is "How many more votes do we need to find to win?", maybe Kathy Nickolaus was just screwing with them?
12. Posted by proof | April 7, 2011 8:12 PM |
Score: 12 (14 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 20:12
13. Posted by GarandFan | April 7, 2011 8:18 PM | Score: 13 (15 votes cast)
"...maybe Kathy Nickolaus was just screwing with them?"
That would be sweet! Let them pad the vote tally by a couple hundred, then declare victory. Until Nickolaus says "Oh, here are the rest of the votes for the other person."
Guess next time, they'll pad the vote by a couple thousand so they won't be "Nickolaused" again.
13. Posted by GarandFan | April 7, 2011 8:18 PM |
Score: 13 (15 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 20:18
14. Posted by Jay Guevara | April 7, 2011 8:19 PM | Score: 15 (19 votes cast)
I almost suspect that this was a rope a dope. That someone in Wisconsin knew that the Democrats and their friends in ACORN were going to closely watch the vote count and try to win this by a slim margin.
I wondered about this too. If so, it was brilliant - taking a leaf from the Breitbart notebook, let the Reds think they know how many votes they have to gin up to steal the election, then POW! hose them with your second shot because you're not done. They can hardly come up with a second tranche of bullshit votes.
Just as Trump did this week with the birth certificate issue. Throw out a weakish point as though it's all you've got, wait for the Reds to direct fire at it, then clobber them into the ozone layer with a crushing riposte. Beautiful.
I rather doubt that that's what happened in WI, but it's nice to think that the Americans are catching on to the Reds' tactics, and how to fight them.
14. Posted by Jay Guevara | April 7, 2011 8:19 PM |
Score: 15 (19 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 20:19
15. Posted by Falze | April 7, 2011 8:46 PM | Score: 7 (9 votes cast)
the odds of it being done intentionally are pretty weak, seriously, who would have thought that no one would notice that a town reported, but reported no votes
15. Posted by Falze | April 7, 2011 8:46 PM |
Score: 7 (9 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 20:46
16. Posted by 914 | April 7, 2011 9:00 PM | Score: 8 (12 votes cast)
"Kloppenburg could still ask for a recount up to three days after the official canvass, but would have to pay for it herself"
Three days is an eternity in ACORNLAND. Maybe Jimah, Holder and screwy Louie can lend a hand just to make sure the process is not anti-semitical.
16. Posted by 914 | April 7, 2011 9:00 PM |
Score: 8 (12 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 21:00
17. Posted by sarahconnor2 | April 7, 2011 9:19 PM | Score: 13 (15 votes cast)
419 and Warchild,
Democrats griping about Republicans finding votes is way over the hypocrisy line. Show some self respect for heaven's sakes.
17. Posted by sarahconnor2 | April 7, 2011 9:19 PM |
Score: 13 (15 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 21:19
18. Posted by 914 | April 7, 2011 9:43 PM | Score: 13 (15 votes cast)
"419 and Warchild,
Democrats griping about Republicans finding votes is way over the hypocrisy line. Show some self respect for heaven's sakes."
Thats asking a lot Sarah, first they have to master potty training .
18. Posted by 914 | April 7, 2011 9:43 PM |
Score: 13 (15 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 21:43
19. Posted by Jason | April 7, 2011 10:28 PM | Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
I thought Garand was joking.
http://twitter.com/MMFlint/statuses/56128307044958208
Crap. He's as much a stupid bastard as he is a fat bastard.
"Get in mah belleh!"
19. Posted by Jason | April 7, 2011 10:28 PM |
Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 22:28
20. Posted by Jason | April 7, 2011 10:29 PM | Score: 10 (12 votes cast)
Democrats cry for every vote to be counted...
...except when it means they lose.
20. Posted by Jason | April 7, 2011 10:29 PM |
Score: 10 (12 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 22:29
21. Posted by James Cloninger | April 7, 2011 11:16 PM | Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
"According to Mikey this is unnecessary/unfair because “Kloppenburg has already declared victory!"
So did Gore in 2000...
21. Posted by James Cloninger | April 7, 2011 11:16 PM |
Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 23:16
22. Posted by f1guyus | April 7, 2011 11:30 PM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Now that's how you play election poker. Make the Dems show their hole cars and squash 'em. Cool.
22. Posted by f1guyus | April 7, 2011 11:30 PM |
Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 23:30
23. Posted by jim m | April 7, 2011 11:44 PM | Score: 10 (12 votes cast)
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
As a Democrat, she said, "I'm not going to stand here and tell you something that's not true."
So just to check back with 419 and warchild, The dems say your candidate lost and that there was no fraud.
Your complaint was exactly what again?
23. Posted by jim m | April 7, 2011 11:44 PM |
Score: 10 (12 votes cast)
Posted on April 7, 2011 23:44
24. Posted by jim m | April 8, 2011 12:30 AM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
I'm not sure which the dems are more upset about: Whether it's that Kloppenburg lost or if it's the fact that they beclowned themselves gloating about the victory that wasn't.
I really do enjoy the "But...But....But she declared victory! You can't count any more votes now!". So much for the count every vote crowd.
And I confess, I would be suspicious of this too if it were not for the fact that dem officials are standing up and saying that the new count is correct.
24. Posted by jim m | April 8, 2011 12:30 AM |
Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Posted on April 8, 2011 00:30
25. Posted by Jim Addison | April 8, 2011 12:37 AM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
As sweet as it would be to believe we outfoxed the filthy, vote-defrauding, election-stealing "Democrats" by withholding the votes, unfortunately our side just isn't that crafty.
That's why the Democrats usually come out on top in close elections - this is nothing new, of course. Daley and LBJ stole the 1960 election for Kennedy.
But the prospect of the public sector unions in Wisconsin, Ohio, and perhaps other states will now have to collect their own darned dues makes up for the disappointment.
25. Posted by Jim Addison | April 8, 2011 12:37 AM |
Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Posted on April 8, 2011 00:37
26. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | April 8, 2011 4:59 AM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
As a former govt worker, and as someone with 18 years in IT... what you have here is a stubborn govt worker that feels above the rules, and is unwilling to deal with change. She pushed hard to keep her old systems despite the warnings, and has enough clout that nobody was willing to step in and force her to get with the program.
I've seen this behaivor again and again, in the public and private sector.
26. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | April 8, 2011 4:59 AM |
Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Posted on April 8, 2011 04:59
27. Posted by jim x | April 8, 2011 10:36 AM | Score: -4 (8 votes cast)
Seriously guys. If she was a Democrat supporter, refused to be audited, and then *two days* after the election finally mentions she has **just enough** votes to give her guy a win that's **just barely** past the automatic recall point...wouldn't you be suspicious?
I'm sure you would, and you'd be right to be.
Regardless, I'm sure a recount will happen and the rightful winner will get in, no matter which party. A recount hurts no voters, it's just making extra sure.
27. Posted by jim x | April 8, 2011 10:36 AM |
Score: -4 (8 votes cast)
Posted on April 8, 2011 10:36
28. Posted by jim x | April 8, 2011 10:37 AM | Score: -8 (14 votes cast)
[cough]Bush in Florida[cough]
28. Posted by jim x | April 8, 2011 10:37 AM |
Score: -8 (14 votes cast)
Posted on April 8, 2011 10:37
29. Posted by Oyster | April 8, 2011 11:00 AM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Frankly, what bothers me is that the AP is calling the winner. Why is ANY news agancy calling an election? Especially after the fiascos they've caused in the past. Why isn't the proper election authority calling it?
"Regardless, I'm sure a recount will happen and the rightful winner will get in, no matter which party. A recount hurts no voters, it's just making extra sure."
A recount is going to happen only if Kloppenburger wants it and then she'll have to pay for it. Get your wallet out and send her some money so you can be "sure" the rightful winner gets in.
29. Posted by Oyster | April 8, 2011 11:00 AM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on April 8, 2011 11:00
30. Posted by Rodney Graves
| April 8, 2011 11:24 AM | Score: 0 (6 votes cast)
Well, we now know the color of the sky on "jim x" planet...
30. Posted by Rodney Graves
| April 8, 2011 11:24 AM |
Score: 0 (6 votes cast)
Posted on April 8, 2011 11:24
31. Posted by Sarah the Impaler | April 8, 2011 11:28 AM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
wartoddler-
"It just so happens that the computer error may have happened because a Republican County Clerk was keeping the vote tallying software on her personal PC and refused to have it audited."
Thats interesting theory and conjecture. Next time try facts and evidence. You may resume sucklin now.
31. Posted by Sarah the Impaler | April 8, 2011 11:28 AM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on April 8, 2011 11:28
32. Posted by 419 | April 8, 2011 11:49 AM | Score: -7 (11 votes cast)
Wow. The level of cognitive dissonance on the American right has reached unprecedented heights.
IOKIYAR
32. Posted by 419 | April 8, 2011 11:49 AM |
Score: -7 (11 votes cast)
Posted on April 8, 2011 11:49
33. Posted by Rodney Graves
| April 8, 2011 12:16 PM | Score: 2 (6 votes cast)
419 opines:
Project much?
33. Posted by Rodney Graves
| April 8, 2011 12:16 PM |
Score: 2 (6 votes cast)
Posted on April 8, 2011 12:16
34. Posted by Howie | April 8, 2011 12:28 PM | Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
I honestly beieve that it wasn't a "rope-a-dope", but an honest mistake that happened to work out for the Republicans. However, I do believe the "waves of change" from the Left has come to a resounding halt. People in Wisconsin really do not want Public Unions.
As we have seen in the past, anytime the count in close and there is a recount, Democrats magically find more votes. Seriously, do some research and you will see the numbers are like 950% for the Democrats. This tells me one of two things. 1.) People voting Democrat are not as smart, as they don't do it correctly, 2) Democrats cheat and make up votes to win close elections.
34. Posted by Howie | April 8, 2011 12:28 PM |
Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
Posted on April 8, 2011 12:28
35. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | April 8, 2011 1:01 PM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
This was not one person's single PC. There is a small network involved, and a department of people. The whole network is obsolete.
In IT and engineering, we often say RTFM, in this case, RTFA.
35. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | April 8, 2011 1:01 PM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on April 8, 2011 13:01
36. Posted by 419 | April 8, 2011 1:19 PM | Score: -4 (8 votes cast)
"Project much?"
"I know you are, but what am I" may have been a valid argument when you were 8, but... oh, nevermind.
36. Posted by 419 | April 8, 2011 1:19 PM |
Score: -4 (8 votes cast)
Posted on April 8, 2011 13:19
37. Posted by McGehee | April 8, 2011 5:25 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Turns out the 7500 votes were reported -- just not to the AP. Oops.
37. Posted by McGehee | April 8, 2011 5:25 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on April 8, 2011 17:25
38. Posted by cirby | April 8, 2011 5:58 PM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
A couple of myths about this that have since been corrected:
1) It wasn't "someone's personal PC." It was an older government-owned PC, or "personal computer."
2) The votes weren't found after nobody noticed them missing - a number of people even noticed on election night that there seemed to be a bunch of votes missing from that county, and some actually pointed out that that one city had no votes recorded.
Note that both of these are very different than the typical Democrat moves, like "I found these 500 important votes in my car trunk a day or two after the election," or "yeah, those 500 votes, which happen to be 90% Democrat-favoring, came from a precinct that was otherwise a dead heat in a race that could be decided by, oh, another 400 votes..."
38. Posted by cirby | April 8, 2011 5:58 PM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on April 8, 2011 17:58
39. Posted by liberalNItemare | April 8, 2011 6:35 PM | Score: -2 (2 votes cast)
After considerable thought, I believe I can sum up the situation with a simple comment ...
lolololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololol!
39. Posted by liberalNItemare | April 8, 2011 6:35 PM |
Score: -2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on April 8, 2011 18:35