Green Bay City Clerk Celestine Jeffreys, a Democrat, has admitted in a legal filing that she has not been conducting thorough investigations into all voters with undeliverable election day registration (EDR) postcards. This admission reveals that she has not been following the recommendations of the Wisconsin Election Commission (WEC) or adhering to Wisconsin election law.
In a recent filing with the WEC, Ms. Jeffreys acknowledged that she has failed to investigate all voters with undeliverable EDR postcards, nor has she been inactivating their registrations or referring their names to the district attorney as required by statute. She claimed that she was unaware of these obligations and has promised to do better moving forward.
The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), a non-profit law firm, initiated a complaint against Ms. Jeffreys on behalf of three Green Bay registered voters. PILF President J. Christian Adams criticized Ms. Jeffreys for not only failing to follow Wisconsin election law but also for not being aware of the laws and rules governing her duties as a city clerk.
The PILF has requested the WEC to order Ms. Jeffreys to comply with Wisconsin statutes and the WEC’s guidance on EDR, a directive that Ms. Jeffreys did not oppose.
Despite these developments, the WEC has not yet made a determination in the case and did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Vote Now, Verify Later
Wisconsin allows voters to register on election day, cast their votes, and have them counted before their addresses are verified. As a safeguard, Wisconsin law mandates the WEC to mail postcards to EDR voters post-election to verify their addresses. The verification process occurs after the votes are counted and certified.
If postcards are undeliverable, they are returned to the clerk’s office for investigation. If no error is found and no Postal Service issue explains the non-delivery, the EDR voter is assigned inactive status, and the clerk must refer the case to the district attorney for potential prosecution.
Continuing Conflict
This is not the first time Ms. Jeffreys has faced scrutiny over election integrity. Earlier in her tenure, a complaint was lodged against her for allowing unauthorized individuals to return absentee ballots, violating Wisconsin law. While the WEC found in favor of the complainant, no sanctions were imposed on Ms. Jeffreys.
In April 2022, a poll watcher raised concerns about improper ballot handling by an individual, leading to a complaint against Ms. Jeffreys. Subsequently, the poll watcher faced charges of disorderly conduct, which were later overturned by a circuit court judge as retaliatory.
Prior to the 2022 midterm election, Ms. Jeffreys was sued by the Republican National Committee and Wisconsin residents for restricting poll watcher access during early absentee voting. She was forced to adjust her election practices as a result.
Ms. Jeffreys, who assumed the role of city clerk in 2021, has a background in public service and previously served as chief of staff for Mayor Eric Genrich. Her efforts to expand voting access during the pandemic were met with legal challenges regarding ballot drop boxes.
Despite these controversies, Ms. Jeffreys did not provide a comment on the recent developments.
Please rewrite the following sentence:
“The cat is sleeping peacefully on the windowsill.”
“The cat is peacefully sleeping on the windowsill.”
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