Milwaukee orders recount of 31,000 absentee ballots, likely delaying results in Wisconsin

Milwaukee city spokesperson Jeff Fleming told reporters Tuesday officials decided to order the recount for the 31,000 absentee ballots after they discovered issues with 13 tabulator machines.

The decision to recount the absentee ballots was made in consultation with Republican and Democratic officials, according to a county spokesperson.

Fleming told reporters Tuesday the decision to recount the ballots was made out of "an abundance of caution," even as he acknowledged the delays the recount will likely create for the state's broader election results.

Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin, one of seven battleground states considered key to determining the next president. 

Wisconsin is also one of the most competitive states in the 2024 election cycle. 

The Badger State is also one of three Rust Belt states that voted for Trump in 2016 before flipping in 2020 to select Joe Biden. 

Biden won the state narrowly in 2020 by a margin of 20,682 votes. The narrow victory gives the state an extra incentive to be as transparent and careful as possible in its ballot counting and reporting process, Fleming stressed Tuesday.

"What has to be redone is just what's happening against the wall at the machines," Fleming told reporters. "It is gonna extend the time that we will get the totals here. We don't know how much longer that will be. So, it's not insignificant." 

Voters "deserve better, and we are unambiguously calling on Milwaukee's officials to do their jobs and count ballots quickly and effectively," Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley and Co-Chair Lara Trump said in a statement. 

"Anything less undermines voter confidence."