The Canvas Board canvassed the votes cast at the April 8, 2004 Spring Election for County Board of Supervisors. Canvassers Present: County Clerk Helen Steffen, Betty Anderson, Barbara Johnson.

The returns of the Towns and Villages were reviewed and the following discrepancies were noted:

Town of Blaine: The total number of voters was not indicated on the tally sheet. The Inspector's Statement was not signed by the Election Inspectors.

Town of Dewey: The Inspector's Statement was not signed by the Election Inspectors.

Town of LaFollette: Ballot bag was tied in such a manner that access to the ballots was possible.

Town of Lincoln: The number of votes cast shown on the tally sheet was not the same as the slash marks. Whereas full signatures are required, Election Inspectors initialed the Inspector's Statement, certification on Used Absentee Ballot Envelope, and Poll List.

Town of Meenon: Ballot bag was tied in such a manner that access to the ballots was possible.
The Inspector's Statement was not signed by the Election Inspectors.

Town of Roosevelt: Ballot bag was tied in such a manner that access to the ballots was possible.

Town of Rusk: The total number of voters was not indicated on the tally sheet.

Town of Siren: The Inspector's Statement indicates an absent voter's envelope was rejected because "Question residency." The person challenging the absentee voter should have been placed under oath and inspectors ask the challenging elector questions to determine the basis for the challenge. This is covered in the blue Election Day Manual. The challenge should have been recorded in writing and returned with the Inspectors Statement.

Persons voting by absentee ballot have signed a form indicating they are a qualified voter. Poll of November 2002 indicates this elector voted as an absentee voter at that election.

It is suggested the inspectors carefully review the residency requirements. Persons living away from their primary residence who plan to return and have not voted in another voting district may continue to vote in the district where they once lived.

The last column of the poll list is for notations such as "absentee, assisted, challenged, etc." It is not necessary to indicate the Post Office of the elector.

Town of Trade Lake: Two absentee ballots were enclosed in the "Rejected Absentee Ballot" carrier envelope without the certificate envelope. The Inspector's Statement indicates the ballots were rejected because they were for a District other than where the elector was qualified to vote. Inspectors are to place the folded absentee ballots in the ballot box without viewing the face of the ballot to preserve the secrecy of the vote. At the time ballots are being counted, the discrepancy between numbers of voters in each district would have indicated there were two excess ballots. By sorting the absentee ballots from the others (based on the intials on the back) it would have indicated there were two excess absentee ballots. Two absentee ballots would have been removed by random from any absentee ballots for that district. The rejected ballots would then be marked as rejected and placed in the ballot bag rather than in the Rejected Absentee ballot envelope.

Town of Webb Lake: - Ballot bag was tied in such a manner that access to the ballots was possible.

Rejected ballots included one issued to an elector who was not registered. Where municipalities require registration, the person requesting an absentee ballot must be registered, except in the case of a military voter.

It was noted numerous absentee ballots were mailed to the electors without the return postage being affixed. Clerks are to pay postage both ways on absentee ballots except for the return of ballots mailed overseas.

Numerous absentee ballots were witnessed by someone other than the Town Clerk or Deputy and were not mailed to the Clerk. As absentee ballots must either be voted in the Clerk's Office or mailed to the elector with return postage affixed, the Clerk is not to give ballots to people to take with them to vote or to pick up ballots for other voters.

Town of West Marshland - The Inspector's Statement was not signed by the Election Inspectors.

Village of Webster - The total number of voters was not indicated on the tally sheet.

Helen Steffen
Burnett County Clerk