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Alexander Shur

@alexandershur.bsky.social
373 followers 147 following 93 posts

Covering Wisconsin election administration for @Votebeat.org | You ain’t gonna learn what you don’t want to know

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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Remember all the conspiracy theories about Milwaukee's August 11 election error? We had three experts look at the tabulator audit logs Milwaukee released after the election and the consensus is the same: Nothing was askew. Read more: www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
Milwaukee election audit logs show no evidence of fraud, experts say
Experts say the logs confirm what had been clear from the start: A human error delayed results in the August primary but there was no tampering.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
NEW: Here's my full report on what went wrong in Milwaukee last night, and how it overshadowed city plans to show the public how it was more efficiently and transparently processing absentee ballots on Election Day. Link: www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
Inside the long wait for Milwaukee’s election results
Milwaukee was on pace to report election results relatively quickly — but an error delayed them until after 1 a.m.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Milwaukee officials are done counting absentees. They got up to around 28k, and hope to report them by 10:30 p.m. That would be a relatively early night for the state's biggest Election Day operation.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Hello from Milwaukee’s central count, the largest Election Day operation in the state. I’ll be here all day, covering the officials processing around 25k ballots today. Let me know if you have any questions/concerns!
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
What to expect when you're expecting election results in Wisconsin www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
A big election is coming up in Wisconsin. Here’s when to expect results.
Municipalities like Milwaukee sometimes take until the wee hours of Wednesday to report election results. Here’s why.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
One of Votebeat's very best resources is one that all election reporters can use. This year @votebeat.org is relaunching its experts desk, a Slack channel with hundreds of reporters and election experts, where you can experts your election questions and get (many) correct answers
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Carrie Levine @levinecarrie.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Exclusive new details on who the FBI is talking to in Wisconsin about the 2020 election, from Dion Nissenbaum and @alexandershur.bsky.social on @votebeat.org today. www.votebeat.org/national/202...
votebeat.org
The Trump administration is investigating the 2020 election. It may be laying the groundwork for 2026.
Claims of mass voter fraud have been debunked again and again, but the Trump administration is still relitigating the 2020 election.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin recently sued to require every clerk to give voters an opportunity to fix mistakes on their absentee envelopes Currently clerks can choose whether to reach out to affected voters. Here's what clerks/experts say about the suit www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
‘Fundamentally unfair’: Lawsuit alleges voters are being treated differently across Wisconsin
Right now, some Wisconsin clerks let voters fix mistakes with their absentee ballots, and others don’t. A new lawsuit seeks to impose a uniform standard.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
23 late-arriving Madison absentee ballots must be counted, judge rules www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
Judge orders Madison to count 23 rejected absentee ballots in state Supreme Court race
A judge ruled that 23 late-arriving Madison absentee ballots must be counted after voters argued they were being disenfranchised due to election officials’ errors.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
NEW: A Votebeat review found that Mequon Clerk Caroline Fochs has applied an unusually strict standard in rejecting ballots -- and misapplied her stated standard in her rejection of at least 10 ballots since 2024. WEC is meeting about Mequon as we speak. www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
Mequon clerk appears to have rejected ballots that met even her own strict standard, Votebeat review finds
Mequon’s clerk rejected ballots from places like Fox Point — even though those municipalities are uniquely named and should have met her own standard.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
A municipal clerk in Ozaukee County has an unusually strict standard to decide whether witness addresses are valid. In this past election, the Mequon clerk's standard led to five ballot rejections -- two of which may have been due to bad data on her part. www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
Flexible rule for Wisconsin absentee ballots leads to rejected votes, possible legal action
The Mequon fight centers on who can reject ballots — and who gets the final say.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
🧵Post-election Old Fashioneds? Running elections from a beef farm? A county that in this time of unprecedented turnover has come up with a collaborative and helpful system for training new clerks? All that and more in my latest dispatch, from all over Rock County: www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
Running an election is harder than ever. This Wisconsin county makes it easier on new clerks.
As Wisconsin wrestles with unprecedented clerk turnover, the county is taking an all-hands-on-deck approach to keep new clerks in the field.
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Nathaniel Rakich @baseballot.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
We've obtained emails between the top election official in Maricopa County, AZ, and the Department of Justice, raising questions about whether he's helping their investigation of the county's elections. www.votebeat.org/arizona/2026...
votebeat.org
The feds are going after the nation’s biggest election battleground. Is this election official helping?
New emails raise questions about whether a top Republican official coordinated with federal officials who are investigating his own county.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
🧵NEW: Ahead of Madison & Dane County election boards deciding to count 23 late-arriving ballots, an attorney for the state GOP told city and county officials that doing so would be illegal. The city and county decided to count them after their lawyers' go-ahead www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
Small ballot error in Wisconsin could have big legal consequences
It could just be a matter of time before Wisconsin’s mail-ballot deadline law winds up in court.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
I am (virtually) live from the Dane County Board of Canvassers board, which, unlike the city, doesn't appear on the same page about counting the late-arriving ballots. One canvasser says he doesn't want to count any ballots that arrive at polling places after 8 p.m.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
The Madison canvassing board unanimously decided to count the ballots today. The county will discuss the matter on Monday. But yes, this seems to be a bit of a gray area.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
🧵NEW: 23 Madison ballots arrived after 8 p.m. to polling places on Election Day despite law saying they need to arrive before then Some court cases offer leniency in these situations, but it's unclear if those ballots can count or will be challenged in the certification process
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Wisconsin is the latest state to bring its laws up to speed with the 2022 federal law seeking to prevent a repeat of the post-2020 attempt to disrupt election certification. www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
New Wisconsin law seeks to prevent another election certification mess
Gov. Tony Evers signed a law aligning the state's election certification timeline with federal rules and vetoed a GOP bill related to HAVA complaints and voter citizenship audits.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
A city error in 2024 left 193 ballots uncounted. Some of the affected voters have lost trust in the system, and some oppose the lawsuit meant to hold the city accountable. www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
What should the penalty be for disenfranchisement? In Madison, affected voters are split
Some stopped voting or abandoned absentee ballots. Others oppose the lawsuit filed over the error — revealing deep divides among affected voters.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
At a recent WisPolitics event, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said the absence of a Senate elections committee this session hasn't slowed down voting legislation. But a Votebeat analysis shows the Senate lags far behind the Assembly on voting bills www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
Without election committee, Wisconsin Senate drags its feet on election bills
The Assembly has moved most election bills this session, while the Senate — which now lacks a dedicated elections committee — has let most of them stall.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
NEW: Madison this week appealed a court ruling that found the city can be sued for monetary damages for disenfranchising nearly 200 voters in 2024. The appeal focuses on the threshold for monetary damages -- and alleges it requires more than Madison's unintentional errors
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Votebeat @votebeat.org · 26/02/2026
The city said that the lower court decision on uncounted absentee ballots in 2024 would unrealistically require “error-free” elections statewide.
bit.ly
In appeal, Madison warns disenfranchisement ruling could trigger wave of election lawsuits
The city said that the lower court decision on uncounted absentee ballots in 2024 would unrealistically require “error-free” elections statewide.
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Justin Levitt @justinlevitt.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Am looking forward to WaPo reporting on Elon's draft executive order that would "unlock" time travel.
washingtonpost.com
Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency
Activists who say they are in coordination with the White House are circulating a draft executive order that would unlock extraordinary presidential power over voting.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Who's going to run elections in small-town WI? In many places, it's a question w/o a clear answer. Take it from the Town of Wausau, which has had 4 clerks in just over a year. It's a problem w/o a neat solution, but clerks still sure decentralized elections are best www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
Small-town Wisconsin is struggling to find its next election clerks
In Wausau and across rural Wisconsin, aging clerks are hard to replace — straining the state’s decentralized election system.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Court says Madison can be liable for disenfranchising voters www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
Lawsuit seeking money over disenfranchised Madison votes can proceed, judge rules
A state law describing absentee voting as a privilege does not mean absentee ballots receive less constitutional protection than in-person votes, the court held.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
HUGE court ruling 1) dismisses Madison's argument that absentee voting is a privilege, not a right; and 2) allows for lawsuits seeking damages against officials disenfranchising voters *even if the disenfranchisement is only because of negligence Story TK www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
documentcloud.org
JudgeOrderVotebeat
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
Wisconsin Elections Commission steps in to challenge Madison’s argument on absentee voting www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
Condemnation of Madison’s defense in missing-ballot lawsuit grows louder
In a rare intervention, the Wisconsin Elections Commission filed a court brief denouncing the claim by the city and its former clerk that absentee voting is a “privilege.”
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
No reprieve for Madison after arguing in court that absentee voting is a privilege, not a right. Yesterday, WEC filed its first ever amicus brief to dispute the argument. Today, six voting groups released a letter calling on the city to abandon its argument. Here's that:
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Votebeat @votebeat.org · 03/02/2026
Those who lived through the threats and pressure campaigns say the president’s authority may be limited, but the guardrails that once held him back are weaker now.
bit.ly
As Trump calls for nationalizing voting, election officials draw on lessons of 2020
Those who lived through the threats and pressure campaigns say the president’s authority may be limited, but the guardrails that once held him back are weaker now.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Election officials draw on sobering 2020 lessons as Trump calls for nationalizing voting www.votebeat.org/2026/02/03/e...
votebeat.org
As Trump calls for nationalizing voting, election officials draw on lessons of 2020
Those who lived through the threats and pressure campaigns say the president’s authority may be limited, but the guardrails that once held him back are weaker now.
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Votebeat @votebeat.org · 30/01/2026
Got questions about how Wisconsin's voter list is maintained? Reply here and @alexandershur.bsky.social may answer them in his newsletter!
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
A post shared by President Trump that's going viral misinterprets key aspects of how Wisconsin retains voter records. It conflates active voters and the voter database, and baselessly says the current maintenance standard is conducive to fraud www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
No, these Wisconsin voter roll figures aren’t a sign of ‘fraud waiting to happen’
People on Wisconsin’s inactive list aren’t eligible to vote, but their records stay on file indefinitely — a practice that actually helps reduce the likelihood of fraud, election officials say.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers in court is disputing Madison and its former clerk's legal argument that they aren't liable for 193 lost ballots because absentee voting is a privilege, not a right. www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
Wisconsin’s governor disputes Madison’s argument that absentee voting is a ‘privilege’
Tony Evers warned in a court filing that accepting the former city clerk’s defense would free election officials to diminish voting rights. It’s an unusual intervention by a governor in a municipal el...
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Jessica Huseman @jessicahuseman.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
National news outlets with this big of a platform should really weigh analysis like this with local perspective, which - I promise - comes to the opposite conclusion. This really makes me very sad.
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wortnews.bsky.social @wortnews.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
Their attorneys pointed to a state law that says absentee voting is a privilege - not a constitutional right. @alexandershur.bsky.social joins @fayeparks.bsky.social to explain why experts in election law are sounding the alarm. www.wortfm.org/madison-form...
wortfm.org
Madison, former city clerk ask court to dismiss uncounted ballot lawsuit - WORT-FM 89.9
The city and its former clerk can’t be sued for the 2024 election snafu, their attorneys argue, because state law says absentee voting is a privilege – not a right.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
You know the Monday processing bill -- the long-awaited reform that Wisconsin election officials have spent years asking for? Well, as the GOP remains torn between election reforms sought by clerks and conspiracy theories, this looks like another session it won't become law.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
BREAKING story: Wisconsin must verify citizenship of registered voters and new applicants, judge rules www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
Wisconsin judge orders citizenship checks for all voters
The ruling doesn’t specify how state agencies should handle the task, but sets a target for completion: the next election, in February.
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Jim Malewitz @jmalewitz.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
“I don’t give a shit about getting my head kicked in by both sides.” GOP Rep. Scott Krug hopes to quiet conspiracy theories and rebuild public faith in elections — even if his proposals don’t make it. Great profile from @alexandershur.bsky.social wisconsinwatch.org/2025/09/wisc...
wisconsinwatch.org
State Rep. Scott Krug emerges as GOP’s voice of pragmatism on Wisconsin election policy
Veteran lawmaker hopes to quiet the conspiracy theories and rebuild public faith — even if his proposals don’t make it.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
NEW: For years, Wisconsin election officials' top legislative priority have been lobbying for a bill to process absentee ballots beginning on the Monday before an election. Votebeat got an early look at this year's version of the bill (cont.)
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Carrie Levine @levinecarrie.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
Calling all pet people who care about voting! www.votebeat.org/2025/09/04/v...
votebeat.org
Help us with a project: Vote for Votebeat’s new pet mascot
Votebeat is working on a project that illustrates and explains how ranked choice voting works, so we decided to ask readers to vote.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
There’s a rare but critical inaccuracy in Jessica’s post. We do want to know who our pet mascot should be, we are exploring ranked choice voting. But you must first and foremost vote for Samson*
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 28/07/2025
Last month, I reported on how Wisconsin election officials wanted weren't completely satisfied with the state's in-house e-pollbook, Badger Book. Wisconsin Elections Commission formed a work group to learn about other options. (1/2)
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
🧵NEW: WEC appointees yesterday questioned why the former Madison clerk was absent as 193 ballots were missing. Records obtained by Votebeat show she was having a baking "staycation" amid the snafu, and when she returned to work she had staff deliver cookies around the city
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
The WEC report into the missing Madison ballots (vaguely) spotlighted security issues at the Dane County-owned facility where the city stored election materials -- and, inadvertently, uncounted ballots. (1/2)
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
The U.S. DOJ under Trump withdrew from several voting cases that Biden launched nationwide. Not so in Wisconsin, where it's still pursuing a case against a town that disavowed electronic voting machines. On Monday, an appeals court ruled in favor of the DOJ (1/2)
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Wisconsin proposal to require simple explanations of ballot questions needs work, critics say www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
Wisconsin bill to help voters understand ballot questions has flaws, critics say
The key to any plain-language requirement is user testing, an expert says — giving drafts to readers and checking whether they understand them as intended. The Wisconsin proposal doesn’t do that.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
I wrote about what the DOJ's letter to Wisconsin over an alleged HAVA violation means, including commentary that WEC likely is violating the law. Story features a @jenafifield.bsky.social scoop of a DOJ letter also sent to Arizona www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
U.S. threatens Arizona and Wisconsin over alleged election law violations
The letters are an early sign of how the Trump’s administration is scrutinizing state election practices after his executive order on elections.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
Conservatives and some liberals opposed the Wisconsin Supreme Court's decision to limit who can appeal WEC administrative complaints to court. But they can't agree on how to expand standing again, and clerks fear an onslaught of lawsuits: www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/20...
votebeat.org
Wisconsin bill could push more election disputes into the court system
The GOP-backed bill would allow more Wisconsin residents to challenge rulings by the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Clerks are worried that it could lead to harassment and more litigation.
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Carrie Levine @levinecarrie.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
🚨Two important new voting stories out of Texas this morning and up @votebeat.org, both urgent and important. 🧵 To start, Texas' bid to pass a citizenship proof requirement for voters appears likely dead this legislative session - it missed a key House deadline Tuesday.
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Alexander Shur @alexandershur.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
🧵Wisconsin Republicans are seeking to require every municipality to offer at least 20 hours of early in-person voting, compensating local communities that launch early voting It's a big step forward for local election funding, but clerks say there are some issues w/ the bill
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