By In the aftermath of a close Wisconsin Senate race, Eric Hovde, a Republican candidate, has voiced suspicions over alleged irregularities in last week’s election, which saw him narrowly lose to incumbent Senator Tammy Baldwin. Hovde, who received congratulatory calls on election night, expressed alarm over a late count of absentee ballots in Milwaukee that significantly favored Baldwin, propelling her into the lead by the following morning.
“I was shocked by what unfolded on Election Night,” Hovde said in a video posted on social media. “At 1 a.m., I appeared set to win. Then, around 4 a.m., Milwaukee reported roughly 108,000 absentee ballots, and Baldwin received nearly 90 percent of them.” This wave of absentee ballots, Hovde argued, skewed sharply from the day’s in-person voting, where he had secured about 22 percent of Milwaukee’s ballots.
Hovde also raised questions about the high voter turnout rates in specific Milwaukee wards, citing reports of precincts allegedly exceeding 100 percent of registered voter turnout. Some poll watchers reported a striking number of same-day voter registrations in traditionally Democratic-leaning precincts. While same-day registration is legal in Wisconsin, Hovde suggested that its volume, combined with Milwaukee’s adverse weather conditions that day, warranted a closer look.
Ultimately, Hovde lost by a slim margin of just 27,364 votes. While stopping short of declaring outright fraud, he argued that the irregularities merited close examination. He called for a formal investigation into the alleged tactics, saying Wisconsin’s election integrity must be preserved.
Many people have reached out to me with concerns about the voting inconsistencies we experienced on Election Day. Here are my thoughts: pic.twitter.com/zDvaeHaizw
— Eric Hovde (@EricHovde) November 12, 2024
The concerns Hovde voiced echo past allegations surrounding Wisconsin’s election procedures, specifically during the 2004 presidential election, writes Dan O’Donnell at the Maciver Institute. In that election, former Milwaukee detective Michael Sandvick investigated claims of organized voter fraud. According to Sandvick, political operatives had manipulated Wisconsin’s same-day registration rules to enroll ineligible voters, tainting the results. “We know what to look for,” Sandvick remarked, suggesting that such tactics could still be affecting Wisconsin’s elections.
Further fueling Hovde’s concerns is Wisconsin’s driver’s license policy, which allows some non-citizens to obtain limited identification cards. Just before the election, Representative Bryan Steil questioned whether these licenses could facilitate illegal voting. While the Wisconsin Elections Commission clarified that local clerks are responsible for verifying voter eligibility, Hovde argued that the non-standardized language on identification could complicate the vetting process.
Milwaukee election officials also faced scrutiny after delaying their absentee ballot count on election night. According to Republican poll watcher Hilario DeLeon, several voting machines in Milwaukee precincts were found with their doors open, sparking further unease among election observers. Election Commission Director Paulina Gutierrez sought to assure the public of ballot security, but the delay saw Hovde’s lead dissipate in the early hours of the morning.
Why were the security stickers on all 13 tabulators in Milwaukee broken, and could this be indicative of tampering with the vote count?
Is this incident part of a larger pattern of election irregularities, especially considering past allegations of votes appearing overnight in… pic.twitter.com/jJp0oZQn1a
— Kagens Looking Glass ™ (@KagensNews) November 5, 2024
Under state law, candidates who lose by less than a 1 percent margin can request a recount of the entire state or specific counties. When the margin falls below 0.25 percent, the state covers the recount costs—including expenses for staffing, venue rental, transportation, and supplies. However, if the margin is over 0.25 percent, the candidate’s campaign is responsible for these costs. If a recount alters the election outcome, the financial responsibility shifts to the counties and the state.
At the time of this writing, the Wisconsin GOP has said they have not yet decided whether to challenge.
Baldwin’s campaign has categorically denied any misconduct, and the Wisconsin Elections Commission has announced it will conduct a standard post-election review.
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