OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Two weeks after the Winneconne School Board clerk rejected two recall petitions, an appeal to the Wisconsin Elections Commission says the clerk did not properly follow the law.
At issue is how the petition paperwork was filed back in July. Board Clerk Kari Flagg says that organizers did not follow proper procedure because they dropped it off at the district office instead of handing it directly to her.
But in the appeal, the organizers note that Flagg has no office at the district and that the law says nothing about handing the paperwork to the clerk directly.
The law only requires that the paperwork be received "in the offices of the filing officer." The appeal also notes that Flagg did not mention the problem until several weeks ago, even though this happened in July.
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I spoke with election attorney Erin Deeley, who isn't involved in the case, about how long the WEC appeal process might take.
"They're really prioritizing getting through these complaints in a timely manner, but between the briefing and the time it takes the parties to fully present their positions, it can seem like its taking longer than the public would like it to take, and that can sometimes be frustrating," Deeley said.
There are six commission members at the WEC — three Democrats and three Republicans — all appointed by different political leaders, from Gov. Tony Evers to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.
The next WEC quarterly commission meeting is in March 2027, though there may be one in January 2027 discussing ballot access. Deeley notes that meetings can be scheduled early at the chair's discretion.
NBC26 reached out to Flagg for comment but didn't receive a response. The school board will meet tonight at 6:30 p.m.
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