Group wants restraining order against County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus

WAUKESHA -- Monday, June 4th, a group sent a letter to Waukesha's County Executive, Dan Vrakas, asking for legal action against embattled County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus.

During Wisconsin's recall primary on May 8th, Nickolaus surprised some as she was in her office, reviewing election numbers.

Nickolaus' deputy clerk was given the authority to oversee the primary, and Tuesday's recall election, and County Executive Vrakas preferred Nickolaus not be there on election night.

Past election gaffes were the reason.

In 2011, Nickolaus held an emotional news conference nearly two days after the state Supreme Court Prosser/Kloppenberg election. Nickolaus failed to include all of Brookfield's vote in preliminary totals - citing human error in how data was saved.

During the April election in 2012, workers had to sift through yards of paper tapes hanging on walls to gather totals. That, too, was labeled the result of a technical problem.

Now, a group of concerned citizens have sent a letter to Vrakas, asking for a restraining order against Nickolaus.

The letter says if that's not possible, the group billing themselves as Republicans, Democrats and independents from Waukesha County, want a trained and qualified observer to stand at Nickolaus' side.

The County said they won't file a restraining order, and observers are typically used at polling places -- not at clerk's offices. The County said the Clerk's Office is a public place and the group is invited to observe, provided they do not interfere with election duties.

It is unclear whether Nickolaus will be in the office Tuesday night.

Waukesha's County Executive Vrakas was unavailable for comment for this story.

FOX6 News contacted Nickolaus for comment and messages were not returned.

Nickolaus has announced she will not run for clerk in the next election. The final election she's scheduled to oversee is the presidential election in November.

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