GREENVILLE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — It has been more than nine months since at least seven absentee ballots were found among mail in a Greenville, Wis. ditch. It’s also been nine months of FOX 11 Investigates digging for answers.
While seven ballots isn’t enough to change the outcome of the election, it’s enough to prompt questions that the Postal Service hasn’t answered.
FOX 11 Investigates submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the Postal Service requesting its report on the incident. The request was denied, so we submitted an appeal. But this week, the agency denied our second attempt at figuring out why the ballots were in a ditch, instead of the hands of election officials.
The agency based its denial on an active investigation.
“Law enforcement proceedings are still reasonably anticipated, probably later this summer,” an attorney for USPS wrote in the appeal denial. The Postal Service did not indicate what law enforcement action could be taken.
The absentee ballots came from Ramsey County, Minn., which is home to St. Paul. We asked the county and the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office for an interview, but both declined.
Four months ago, in February, a Ramsey County official told FOX 11 a Postal Service investigator returned seven absentee ballots to the county, and they were processed for the election.
Assemblyman Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, says he’ll be reaching out to Wisconsin’s Congressional leaders to push the Postal Service for answers.
“It’s terribly disturbing. Tampering with mail is a federal crime to begin with. Then you add on top of it interfering with people’s right to vote and have their vote counted. It’s incredibly distressing,” Steineke said.
“If there was tampering of ballots and their investigation finds that, how do you want to see those responsible held accountable?” FOX 11 Investigates asked Steineke.
“They have to face prison time. They have to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. As we’ve seen in this last election, people have concerns about the integrity of our elections and things like this just serve to enhance those concerns,” Steineke replied.
In the fall, the Wisconsin Elections Commission told FOX 11 this is a Postal Service investigation, and the agency has been in contact with Wisconsin officials.
