Thread by @compujeramey

I am covering the Milwaukee County recount until it ends. I will update this thread over the next few days. Here is a primer urbanmilwaukee.com/2020/11/19/wha…

Over 100 people gathered outside, wearing Trump Representative tags. A couple I talked to were told not to talk to me. Others said they were poll workers. One, checking people in, said she didn’t know who they were or what they were doing

Check in process inside has a long line.

County Clerk George Christenson (gray suit) leads effort. A Board of Canvass (background) is scheduled to meet at 9 to open effort

City of Milwaukee ballots await recounting. Not enough observers have been let in yet. Board of Canvass meeting hasn’t started

“The recount is not a terribly complicated process... what is really important about the recount is you all do things uniformly,” says former election director Neil Albrecht in briefing city workers.

Albrecht is serving as a consultant, aiding new director Claire Woodall-Vogg and new deputy Jonathan Zuniga

One of five DS-850 counting machines being audited by provider ES&S in presence of election commission before recount can begin. Republican commissioner Rick Baas asks to review ballots before processing

A true media spectacle

Video showing machine rejecting blank or mismarked ballots as expected

Election workers have been sworn in

One individual first refused to wear a mask, now pulling it down. Sheriff deputies have intervened

Trump campaign is contesting current process design, has a request of practice changes to segregate certain ballots. Board of Election Commission is working to get those oral requests in writing. Ballot counting has not started.

While we wait for Trump campaign requests to be typed up, here is general information being handed out as well as the schedule

Commission now in closed session debating requests from Trump campaign. County Clerk George Christenson briefs press on process so far

Here are the Trump campaign objections in Milwaukee County. County commission (two Democrats, one Republican) debating them in closed session with counsel and staff.

Sheriff Earnell Lucas visits the Milwaukee #recount2020 facility to survey the setup

We are still awaiting closed session deliberations to end. Expected in about 20 minutes, but little has run on time today

Deliberations are underway. Commissioners indicate they will accept most Trump campaign requests to segregate certain ballots to expedite process and preserve integrity. Biden team objecting. Trump team objecting to details.

Onlookers, some of who shouted and resulted in process being halted, look on as deliberations take place

Elections director Julietta Henry instructing election workers how to proceed. No actual ballot counting yet, more prep work for workers.

The City of Milwaukee gains 73 votes for the time being. In-person absentee ballots where the clerk forgot to sign it will be accepted on a 2-1 vote of the commission. They were rejected at central count previously.

Trump observer triggers challenge on city of Milwaukee curbside vote envelope. Poll worker raises hand to get guidance. ED Claire Woodall-Vogg brings it to commission to settle issue.

Trump campaign wants these (curbside) envelopes set aside as well. A request that comes after counting begins. “This has the potential to completely gum up the works,” says commission chair Tim Ponanski.

Trump campaign objecting to objection process at Milwaukee County recount. A Trump attorney tries to tell media they have attorney client privilege at public meeting in presence of commissioners and poll workers.

I will be on @620wtmj at 4:30 to discuss what is happening. And for everyone, setting aside ballots does not mean they are rejected. It sets up a bulk challenge.

No interview. Station is wisely focusing on tragic situation at Mayfair Mall, not inaction at recount

Focusing on writing up an article as things head towards wrapping up for the day. Poll workers were just stopped for the day. The commission board continues to deliberate process and procedure questions as well as outlier absentee ballot conditions.

Commission adjourns at 5:30 p.m. Will return at 9 a.m. tomorrow. I will have an article shortly on what happened, and what didn't.

No ballots were counted on the first day of Milwaukee’s recount urbanmilwaukee.com/2020/11/20/no-…

This tweet is getting a bunch of attention, so some added detail.

1st photo is the 3 commissioners Rick Baas (R), Tim Posnanski (D), Dawn Martin (D)

2nd is county clerk (gray) talking to Trump attorneys.

The “client-privilege” attorney is an unpictured female

https://twitter.com/compujeramey/status/1329912675036434434

DAY 2: Room starting to fill in for day of the Milwaukee County presidential recount

Milwaukee consultant and former director Neil Albrecht details to city workers the process. Hints at process change coming from county commission on marking ballots with PostIt notes and setting them aside on observer request

“If they object to it, set it aside no matter what” says city election director Claire Woodall-Vogg this is a departure from day one rules when objections had to be brought to county commission

Poll workers being sworn in as observers are let in. The convention center worker and observer raising their hands are swearing themselves in for reasons unknown

An objection at a table triggers a set aside, gets forwarded to campaign on completion of ward, campaign can choose to challenge to county commission, commission vote determines if they will be counted. After recount, a campaign can appeal on specific rulings to courts

Wauwatosa and Oak Creek, at state request, will each hand count one ward. All other wards for all municipalities will be processed through tabulation machines, one of which was audited in presence of commissioners yesterday.

Ballots and envelopes subject to challenges where the commission overrules a campaign objection will be placed in manila envelopes after processing. Commission grants request by Trump campaign. Would make things easier for potential future lawsuits. They will be counted up front.

Each campaign is allowed one observer per table. That rule has been violated already, triggering clerk’s office staff to remove people. Observers must be seated or stand behind their chair

Bayside has finished all three of its wards and the commission is poised to vote on objections (there are absentee envelopes with addresses but no city state or zip. Another with no address).

Attorneys Christopher Meuler (Biden) and Stewart Karge (Trump) review envelopes with address issues from Bayside

The envelope with no address has been rejected by the commission. Because Bayside does not use central count a random ballot will be dropped by the commission in the future. Cities like Milwaukee use a central count and number absentees so a specific ballot could be dropped.

Bayside envelopes with an address but no city, state or zip will be accepted on a 2-1 commission vote. Trump campaign and Republican commissioner object. Envelopes will be stored in folder for future potential legal challenge.

Trump campaign challenges that woman is an election official, resulting in sheriff deputies and county clerk intervening to say she is

Trump campaign moves to stop recount because it believes workers are not placing ballots aside when objections are made. Wants re-training. "I think that particular motion is solely imposed to slow this process down," says Biden co-counsel. Effort fails on 1-2 party line vote.

Each clerk is now, one by one, affirming into the record they understand how to handle objections.

Objections, with no reason needed, can be made and should be placed aside for a future challenge when ward is completed.

Fun fact: There are approximately 10 municipalities here counting. Each clerk is a woman.

Ballots are being brought out in suburbs. "They are objecting to every absentee ballot that is folded," says county elections director Julietta Henry. Absentee ballots start in envelopes

"Can we get some common sense here?" asks commission chair Tim Ponanski to Trump campaign

Chair Tim Ponanski, Trump deputy counsel and elections director Julietta Henry going round and round on Brown Deer ballot objections. This is the first time ballot bags have been opened. BD clerk swears observer objected to all folded ballots to commission

Commission votes to block challenges based solely on ballots being folded.

There will now be only two chairs for observers. A Trump observer declared themselves independent and used third chair (woman pictured in photos), says Milwaukee director Claire Woodall-Vogg. Unanimous vote to remove chairs.

A Trump observer objected to every ballot on Milwaukee's Ward 5 on the city's far northwest side says Woodall-Vogg. Ward 1 has had every absentee ballot application called for objection because applications were not present.

"I believe this is prima facie evidence of bad faith by the Trump campaign," says commission chair Tim Posnanski.

Before I can get the above tweets out, city consultant (former director) Neil Albrecht appears. "Right now we are at a complete standstill." Says one observer has gone table to table objecting to every ballot or envelope and says they were told to do so.

"It is my understanding that observers have been told to make an objection if they cannot see the ballot or envelope," says Trump attorney Karge. Ponanski says they settled plexiglass issues yesterday.

"There was no mention made of being able to see the ballots. It was an objection to all ballots cast," says Albrecht of Trump observer going table to table.

"Some of the stuff we are getting into is ridiculous," says Ponanski. Calls on parties to prepare list of things they currently intend to object on. "I want to know why there continue to be obstructions."

Of Ward 1 blanket challenge, Republicans agree to not to challenge to commission on six of them because notations on envelope had no baring.

"I am truly hoping we can get a point where we can dial down the excitement level and stop yelling at each other," says Ken Dragotta, Waukesha County-based Trump attorney. He says he has been on floor, not at meeting in front of room.

The number of Trump campaign challenges appears to be overwhelming the commission's ability to render decisions and unjam the process, or even hear specific challenges. City of Milwaukee workers breaking for lunch.

Cudahy has an entire district (a group of wards) halted because a Trump campaign observer says there are too many piles. Piles were the instructed technique.

What's the objection? "There are too many piles on the table," says the Cudahy clerk.

Clerk instructed to keep counting going, let campaign bring challenge to the commission.

Ballots are actually being processed as observers look on

Some tables from suburban Oak Creek have no observers. Trump won the suburb by 700 votes.

Wisconsin Elections Commissioner Robert Spindell is here, conferring with Trump attorneys. He is a Republican appointee to state commission. I have not spotted any other state commissioners (two Dems are based in Milwaukee)

With the City of Milwaukee at its lunch break, and the commission recessed, I am scrambling to eat and write up a morning recap.

A good time for a reminder that my reporting is supported by @UrbanMilwaukee members. You can become one for as little as $9. urbanmilwaukee.com/membership-acc…

City director Woodall-Vogg presents challenged ballots to Trump team for potential formal challenge

The randomly struck ballot from Bayside has been selected by commissioner Dawn Martin

These are all city of Milwaukee ballots for which challenges have been issued

“It’s not our job to train their observers,” says County Clerk George Christenson of what he says is different behavior by observers, middle attorneys and leading legal team for Trump Campaign

“We will be done,” says Christenson of finishing by December 1st. But if not? He says he will have to address that on December 1st

Trump observers behind me in the viewing area discussing how all Milwaukee media is Chinese-owned, amongst other conspiracy theories. For the record, @UrbanMilwaukee is entirely owned by Milwaukee residents.

An update on everything that has happened so far on day two of the Milwaukee County presidential recount urbanmilwaukee.com/2020/11/21/rec… #recount2020

Ballot processing for some suburbs is underway

A sense of the room, and sheriff deputies guarding ballots

City of Milwaukee objection table has sprouted a child. These are just the challenges from the first wards.

After a lengthy debate, commission rejects Trump campaign request to set aside all in-person absentee votes during processing and rejects challenges based solely on that fact. Campaign hints at future court challenge based on the envelope being an insufficient ballot request

Should this ballot count for Biden? Commission unanimously votes it should. No circle filled in, just an X.

Wauwatosa loses an absentee ballot it failed to reject on election day. The envelope was lacking a witness signature or address. Unclear if city can track down specific ballot or must strike a random one. A few other ballots have been struck as well.

Other envelopes/ballots have been accepted, unclear if they were counted in the first place or will be additions to the suburban vote totals.

City of Milwaukee gains another vote in Ward 35. A full envelope was found that was missed/skipped during counting. "It appears that they skipped and stuck together because it was in alphabetical order," says Woodall-Vogg.

An observer submitted a number of objections with no reason. Woodall-Vogg is presenting them and observer isn't here. Trump attorney is letting them be counted without objection. An intermediary had also advanced them for challenge.

A Trump observer objected to the segregation of ballots into piles at a City of Milwaukee tablet, a move that the Trump campaign had called for (general objections, mismatched ink, indefinitely confined). Confusion ensued, but at least I got a walk out of it to go see the table.

So far Woodall-Vogg has had to read totals of indefinitely confined ballots in each ward into record and get ruling to accept and count but store them separately. Trump campaign offers to skip the public review, have their location (Exhibit X) read into record in bulk (go faster)

Sitting in the front of the viewing area (near the pathway across the room) affords a lot of overheard conversations. A number of Trump observers are from out of state, two from Ohio talking next to me. Haven't heard location talk out of many Biden volunteers.

City of Milwaukee gains another vote as another absentee ballot that went uncounted is found. That's approximately 75 new voters for city so far.

Here's a weird one. A Trump observer and attorney objected to three ballots in Ward 50 where someone didn't vote for any presidential candidate (under vote). Legal team drops objection. Ballots will count for no one, as they did in original election.

A number of suburbs are expected to finish their recounts today (aided by fewer objections in those communities). Bayside, Brown Deer, Cudahy, Greendale, Hales Corners, Oak Creek and Wauwatosa. There are 19 communities in Milwaukee County.

Some of these communities now sound like they won’t make it completely, but they are using high speed tabulation equipment to process ballots

Counting is still going. City of Milwaukee workers were sent home

Being inside a windowless convention center hall for days at a time is a bit like what a gambler on a bender must experience, minus any adrenaline rush or flashing lights. Tomorrow I will bring you a full review of the vending machine offerings.

I am heading out for the night. Suburbs here are wrapping up at 7. Commission ruling on specific ballots where clerks have questions or objections, but Milwaukee proper is shut down for day. Will get results sent to me at conclusion. @AlisonDirr is still here. See you Sunday!

DAY 3: We are back for another day of the Milwaukee County recount.

Observers wait outside to be let in as poll workers sit idle.

Will Democrats and Republicans get along today? Who knows. But Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers fans will work side by side

I promised a full review of the vending machine selection at the Wisconsin Center. Here is a photographic overview. A premade sandwich selection is available downstairs. If you are downtown without lunch plans, the event is free and open to the public.

Canvass meeting reopens at 9:49 a.m. "I want to make sure that the observers are paying attention so we can avoid unnecessary objection and delay," says chair Tim Posnanski. (continued)

No observer objections to missing applications, folded ballots, undervotes, overvotes. Commission has voted to accept those (overvotes rejected by machines)

"We wish to assert a standing objection to every in person absentee ballot," says Trump attorney Stewart Karge for record

County Clerk George Christenson swears in workers.

West Allis and Whitefish Bay are here for the first time. "We are going to be extra nice to Whitefish Bay only because their leaders aren't with us today," says county elections director Julietta Henry. Municipal leaders not required to be here, but most are.

A warning to observers. "If you become unfriendly, you will have one time to be unfriendly. The second time you have become unfriendly we will ask that you leave this location," says county elections director Julietta Henry. At least one observer removed Saturday.

Oak Creek kept working past shutdown notice last night on machine counting. The commission is moving to force all of the wards to be reprocessed in the presence of observers, reports produced on election day totals.