Racine election workers pulled up short on Wednesday when they realized an uncontested municipal judge race had simply vanished from ballots printed for the April 7 Spring Election. The missing contest affects city voters and involves the only name in that race, Municipal Judge Rob Weber. Officials say the omission will not change the outcome of the uncontested race, but the city is now moving quickly to clean up the mess before Election Day.
According to a statement from the City of Racine, staff caught the error during a routine review and confirmed that the flawed ballots had already been printed and distributed through the Racine County Clerk’s Office. The release explains that voters who have already been mailed an absentee ballot will automatically receive a corrected version, labeled "Ballot B," and that the county is reprinting updated ballots for all remaining voting. "We are taking every measure possible to ensure that no one is disenfranchised," City Clerk Tara McMenamin said in the statement.
As reported by WISN, voters can fill out and return Ballot B to replace their original Ballot A for counting purposes. If they decide not to send back Ballot B, the original ballot will still be counted, just without any vote recorded in the municipal judge race. The city's municipal court contact page identifies Hon. Rob Weber as the municipal judge and the only candidate for that seat in this election. Election officials also emphasized that no other contests on the April 7 ballot were affected.
How the replacement ballot will work
The city says Ballot B will take the place of Ballot A when it is returned, and that ballots already mailed back will still count unless a corrected ballot is submitted instead, according to the City of Racine. County election staff are reprinting corrected ballots for polling places, and the city plans to reach out directly to affected voters with step-by-step instructions once Ballot B is ready. Until then, officials are asking residents to sit tight and wait for those instructions rather than taking immediate action on their own.
What officials say about preventing future mistakes
City officials told reporters they did not have a chance to proof the final ballot before it went to print and said they will push for a change in state law that would allow municipal clerks to print ballots locally, a move they argue would improve oversight, as reported by WISN. With early voting already underway, they say quick coordination with county and state election authorities is crucial to protect voter access. The city has continued to stress that no other races are affected while it finalizes its backup plan.
Where to get help
Voters with questions can email the City Clerk's Office at [email protected] or find absentee and early voting information at Voteracine.org. The city says it will reach out by phone and email to affected voters and will also post updates on its news page as new instructions become available. For press inquiries, the city lists [email protected] as the contact in its news release.
