Four candidates for state office denied ballot, elections commission rules

Out of nine candidates running in primaries Wisconsin  who were challenged on their nomination signatures, four potential state representatives were denied the ballot by the Wisconsin Elections Commission Monday.

“I think the process went very smoothly this time," Chairman Dean Knudson said. "We actually had fewer complaints than in the past.”

Watertown state assembly candidate Charisse Daniels had been featured by CNN in a story about women running to oppose Donald Trump, but there was a problem with her nomination papers.

“Fifteen of the people who were included in her paper saying that they had not signed, and it was not their signature," Knudson said.

The commission ruled that they were not valid signatures, and that left her short of the amount to make the ballot. They have the option to send a fraud to law enforcement for criminal investigation.

“The question of fraud was for another time another place, another day," Knudson said. "That may be investigated elsewhere.”

Two gubernatorial candidates and one U.S. Senate candidate were challenged,  but they commission ruled to keep them in.

“All the candidates who are going to be on the august primary were approved today,” commission spokesperson Reid Magney said.

That means the unusually large primary race between democratic candidates running for governor remains at 10. The commission plans to put out the list of everyone approved to run in primaries by tomorrow.

“You’ll be able to go to our website, Elections.wi.gov, and on the front page there will be a link that you can follow to see all the names of the candidates.”

The actual ballot that will be used in the August 14 primary is expected to be available by the end of June.