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Person

Maribeth Witzel-Behl

Nationality:

American
Occupation:

City Clerk of Madison, Wisconsin
Residence:

Madison, Wisconsin

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Maribeth Witzel-Behl is the City Clerk of Madison, Wisconsin, and a member of the advisory committee of the left-of-center election administration group Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL). 1

As City Clerk, Witzel-Behl accepted grants to assist with Madison’s administration of the 2020 election from CTCL. She will help oversee an additional $1.5 million of grants from CTCL to Madison after the city was designated as a “Center for Election Excellence” by the left-of-center U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence in 2023. 2 In 2021, Witzel-Behl was subpoenaed by Wisconsin Senate Republicans as a part of a 2020 election investigation because she did not allow state auditors to physically handle election records. 3 4

Career

Maribeth Witzel-Behl has administered elections as the City Clerk of Madison, Wisconsin since 2006. 5 She has held this position for multiple 5-year terms, which are approved by the Madison City Council. 6 Witzel-Behl is also a member of the advisory committee of the left-of-center election reform advocacy group Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL). 7

In 2022, Witzel-Behl submitted an application for Madison to be considered as a Center for Election Excellence by the left-of- center U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence in an effort to coordinate with other election offices across the U.S. and “move on from 2020.” 8

In January 2023, it was announced that Madison was selected as a Center of Election Excellence. Madison City Council subsequently introduced a resolution to accept $1.5 million in grants from CTCL between 2023 and 2024 to develop different election administration procedures and participate in the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence, which was formed by CTCL, Center for Civic Design, The Elections Group, U.S. Digital Response, the Institute for Responsive Government, Center for Secure and Modern Elections (CSME), and others. 9 10

Witzel-Behl claimed she did not know grants would be awarded to municipalities selected as Centers for Election Excellence, but CTCL distributed $10 million in grants to 214 municipalities in the 2020 election cycle. She has said Madison would use the new $1.5 million in grant funds from CTCL to purchase ExpressVote-accessible voting devices and ExpressVote carts to support voting in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. 11

Prior to becoming the City Clerk of Madison, Witzel-Behl worked in the Wisconsin Capitol issuing liquor licenses. 12 She has also worked as a magazine editor in Waverly, Iowa. 13

2020 Election Aftermath

As City Clerk, Maribeth Witzel-Behl was in charge of three teams of more than 200 people tasked with administering the 2020 election in Madison. 14 She was also responsible for refining protocols, training staff and inspectors, 15 organizing poll workers, and directing troubleshooting teams for the 2020 election in Madison. 16

In 2021, Witzel-Behl was subpoenaed by Wisconsin state Senate Republicans as a part of a 2020 election investigation because she did not allow state auditors to physically handle election records. Witzel-Behl claimed that doing so would have potentially placed her in violation of federal election law. As a result, she gave auditors two options to handle and review election records: touching only one election record at a time, or swearing in as election officials and then handling the election records under the supervision of the Madison Clerk’s Office staff. 17 18

Witzel-Behl also opposed the right-leaning Thomas More Society’s challenge of private election grants from CTCL to Wisconsin municipalities prior to the 2020 election. Thomas More Society’s complaint alleged that Witzel-Behl and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway violated a state law when they accepted grants to administer elections during the COVID-19 pandemic from CTCL. 19

References

  1.  [1] “Advisory Committee.” Center for Tech and Civic Life. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://www.techandciviclife.org/advisory-committee/.
  2. “City of Madison Clerk’s Office Named Inaugural U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence Finalist for 2023 Program.” City of Madison. November 29, 2022. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://www.cityofmadison.com/news/city-of-madison-clerks-office-named-inaugural-us-alliance-for-election-excellence-finalist-for-2023.
  3. “Madison city clerk responds to subpoena for election records.” ABC27 WKOW News. November 12, 2021. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://www.wkow.com/news/madison-city-clerk-responds-to-subpoena-for-election-records/article_1ea78c66-4433-11ec-8ff2-9b2627617dca.html.
  4. Beck, Molly. “Madison clerk proposes new ways to compoly with Wisconsin Senate GOP subpoena for 2020 election results.” https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2021/11/12/madison-clerk-proposes-new-ways-comply-senate-gop-subpoena-2020-election-records/8590278002/.
  5. “Advisory Committee.” Center for Tech and Civic Life. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://www.techandciviclife.org/advisory-committee/.
  6. Katelyn Ferral and Abigail Becker. “Behind the scenes at the Madison City Clerk’s Office on Election Day.” The Cap Times. November 3, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://captimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/behind-the-scenes-at-the-madison-city-clerks-office-on-election-day/article_4f876841-db6b-5fbf-bf2b-d4431c37324c.html.
  7. “Advisory Committee.” Center for Tech and Civic Life. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://www.techandciviclife.org/advisory-committee/.
  8.  Mosiman, Dean. “Madison poised to get $1.5 million from nonprofit that prompted GOP’s constitutional amendment.” Wisconsin State Journal. January 6, 2023. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/madison-poised-to-get-1-5-million-from-nonprofit-that-prompted-gops-constitutional-amendment/article_48acffba-00db-5a2e-837b-51738aea0813.html
  9. “City of Madison Clerk’s Office Named Inaugural U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence Finalist for 2023 Program.” City of Madison. November 29, 2022. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://www.cityofmadison.com/news/city-of-madison-clerks-office-named-inaugural-us-alliance-for-election-excellence-finalist-for-2023.
  10. Mosiman, Dean. “Madison poised to get $1.5 million from nonprofit that prompted GOP’s constitutional amendment.” Wisconsin State Journal. January 6, 2023. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/madison-poised-to-get-1-5-million-from-nonprofit-that-prompted-gops-constitutional-amendment/article_48acffba-00db-5a2e-837b-51738aea0813.html.
  11. Mosiman, Dean. “Madison poised to get $1.5 million from nonprofit that prompted GOP’s constitutional amendment.” Wisconsin State Journal. January 6, 2023. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/madison-poised-to-get-1-5-million-from-nonprofit-that-prompted-gops-constitutional-amendment/article_48acffba-00db-5a2e-837b-51738aea0813.html.
  12. Katelyn Ferral and Abigail Becker. “Behind the scenes at the Madison City Clerk’s Office on Election Day.” The Cap Times. November 3, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://captimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/behind-the-scenes-at-the-madison-city-clerks-office-on-election-day/article_4f876841-db6b-5fbf-bf2b-d4431c37324c.html.
  13. “Advisory Committee.” Center for Tech and Civic Life. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://www.techandciviclife.org/advisory-committee/.
  14. Katelyn Ferral and Abigail Becker. “Behind the scenes at the Madison City Clerk’s Office on Election Day.” The Cap Times. November 3, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://captimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/behind-the-scenes-at-the-madison-city-clerks-office-on-election-day/article_4f876841-db6b-5fbf-bf2b-d4431c37324c.html.
  15. Beck, Molly. “Madison clerk proposes new ways to comply with Wisconsin Senate GOP subpoena for 2020 election results.” https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2021/11/12/madison-clerk-proposes-new-ways-comply-senate-gop-subpoena-2020-election-records/8590278002/
  16. [1] Katelyn Ferral and Abigail Becker. “Behind the scenes at the Madison City Clerk’s Office on Election Day.” The Cap Times. November 3, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://captimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/behind-the-scenes-at-the-madison-city-clerks-office-on-election-day/article_4f876841-db6b-5fbf-bf2b-d4431c37324c.html.
  17. “Madison city clerk responds to subpoena for election records.” ABC27 WKOW News. November 12, 2021. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://www.wkow.com/news/madison-city-clerk-responds-to-subpoena-for-election-records/article_1ea78c66-4433-11ec-8ff2-9b2627617dca.html.
  18. Beck, Molly. “Madison clerk proposes new ways to comply with Wisconsin Senate GOP subpoena for 2020 election results.” https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2021/11/12/madison-clerk-proposes-new-ways-comply-senate-gop-subpoena-2020-election-records/8590278002/.
  19. Jonson, Shawn. “Another Judge Rejects Challenge to 2020 Election Grants.” Urban Milwaukee. June 1, 2022. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2022/06/01/another-judge-rejects-challenge-to-2020-election-grants/.
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