Milwaukee Elections Commission Executive Director Paulina Gutierrez addresses news media on election night. On Friday, the commission delayed certification canvassing until Monday after receiving a suspicious package. (Henry Redman | Wisconsin Examiner)
The Milwaukee Elections Commission put off certifying election results Friday after receiving a suspicious package that the commission said was later determined not to be hazardous.
Commission staff reported the package, a bubble-wrapped envelope wet with an unknown liquid that arrived at the commission’s City Hall office Friday morning. The Milwaukee Fire Department responded to the report, sending a hazardous materials team
According to a statement released by the elections commission, the envelope “emitted an unusual odor.” The statement said that firefighters were contacted “out of caution” and that, “after thorough testing, all results were clear, and [Milwaukee Fire Department] confirmed the area was safe.”
The Wisconsin Examiner contacted the Milwaukee Police Department for more information and was referred to the Milwaukee Fire Department, who said to contact the mayor’s office. The city’s spokesman, Jeff Flemming, could not be reached, but the mayor’s office referred the inquiry to the elections commission.
The commission statement said the body rescheduled its certification of the election to Nov. 11, at 8 a.m.
“Once certified by the City of Milwaukee Board of Election Commissioners, the results will be transferred to the county and continue through the process to the state,” said the commission’s statement.
First responders gave the all clear to the commission to accept the curing of provisional ballots until 4 p.m. Friday.
The Wisconsin Election Commission website has details on the certification process.
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