Eric Hovde not conceding Wisconsin Senate race; Oak Creek clerk explains turnout

OAK CREEK, Wis. - A Milwaukee County city saw such high voter turnout, some wards reported it was greater than 100%.

That led to some online worries.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde explained some of the reasons he didn't concede one week after the election is due to that.

"Like many of my supporters, I was shocked by what happened on election night. At 1 a.m., I was receiving calls of congratulations and based on the models, it appeared I would win the Senate race," he said. "Then, at 4 a.m., Milwaukee reported approximately 108,000 absentee ballots, with Sen. [Tammy] Baldwin receiving nearly 90% of those ballots.

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"Certain voting precincts in Milwaukee having turnout of over 150% of registered voters and in some cases, over 200%."

A post on X claimed "Milwaukee County stole the Senate race in the middle of the night and significantly cut Trump’s statewide margin."

Five Oak Creek wards did report turnout of 100% or 101%:

• Ward 1 had 100%
• Ward 5 was 101%
• Ward 9 was 101%
• Ward 11 was 100.1%
• Ward 16 had 101%

"People aren’t wrong. That is a fact. We had our 100% turnout based on our amount of registered voters at the start of Election Day," Oak Creek clerk Catherine Roeske said. "So for the city of Oak Creek, we had 22,202 registered voters prior to 7 a.m. on Election Day. There really has to be a starting point somewhere. So that is how voter turnout percentages are calculated."

The turnout numbers of 100-plus percent don’t include the nearly 2,200 Oak Creek voters who registered on Election Day, a boost to the city of almost 10%.

"On Election Day in the state of Wisconsin, voters are permitted to register same day registration at the polling location. So certainly, if you're hitting a 98% turnout, it's very likely that some of those wards are going to be over 100% when you factor in all of those same day registrations," Roeske said. "So thrilled with the turnout and that if 98% of your voters are able to come out and vote over the course of those weeks, that's really a success story for us, without a doubt. 

In total, Oak Creek's turnout in 2024 was 98.28%.

"Anyone who I know that didn’t vote, I go talk to them and say, ‘Hey, why don’t you guys get out there and get your minds out there, because whatever happens, whoever gets in and if you don’t like it, well if you didn’t vote, that’s too bad,’" said Robert Desotell, an Oak Creek voter.

So how does this year’s 98% compare with previous years here in Oak Creek? Back in 2020, 91% voted. 2016 was at 84.58% and 2012 was 88%.

Roeske was there for all of them and in 2024, had a long day and a long night.

"I know the reports were coming in. The line wasn't stopping. They were incredibly busy all day long," Roeske said. "So yeah, I was very surprised. I really thought my estimate would be just over 90%. Had you told me it would be 98%, I wouldn't have believed it. So it's surprising, and it's wonderful."

Before these long lines on Election Day, early voting both in person and by mail already saw 54% of registered voters voting.

"Obviously, people were very motivated to get out and vote. I think the parties encouraged that. I would like to think that we enable that," Roeske said. "My job as a city clerk is to make sure that if you are eligible to vote and you reside in my municipality, that I enable that for you, and then I make that as convenient and accessible as I can."

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The city voted 46% for Vice President Kamala Harris, while former President Donald Trump won 50.8%

In the Senate race, Republican Hovde won the city with 50% to Baldwin's 47.5%

The clerk did pull out a few ballots.

"There's so many checks and balances. Even for this election, I believe we had three rejected absentee ballots because over the course of two weeks before the election," Roeske said. "Unfortunately, those voters did pass away, so we needed to pull their ballots."

Now the county double checks the math, with a process called canvassing.

Hovde said he will review all options then announce how he will proceed.

He cannot request a recount until all counties canvass their results and turn them over to the triple check at the state level.

A Baldwin campaign spokesman said Hovde has "stooped as low as a politician can go: sowing doubt about our very democracy."

Milwaukee Election Commission responds to Hovde

The Milwaukee Election Commission shared a response following Hovde's claims:

"The Milwaukee Election Commission (MEC) unequivocally refutes Eric Hovde’s baseless claims regarding the integrity of our election process. Every aspect of the MEC’s operations was conducted with transparency and in strict adherence to established laws and procedures. It is both expected and routine that absentee ballots—over 100,000 in this case—are counted and reported in the late hours of Election Night due to Wisconsin’s high voter turnout and the rigorous verification standards the MEC upholds. Unlike states led by both Republicans and Democrats that permit absentee ballots to be processed ahead of Election Day, Wisconsin does not, which can result in the reporting of large numbers of absentee ballots late at night. The state of Wisconsin proudly allows same-day voter registration, and this historic election saw record-breaking turnout as many newly registered voters exercised their right to support their preferred candidates. The MEC celebrates the dedication of Milwaukee residents to participate in the democratic process and is fully confident that Mr. Hovde’s accusations lack any merit. Milwaukee voters can rest assured: the MEC conducted a fair, accurate, and secure election that fully protects voter rights and preserves the democratic process."