Election officials say there were no serious issues, encourage people to observe canvassing

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Local elections officials report no major issues on election day or beyond, despite increased scrutiny.

There were a few expected delays due to longer lines or equipment malfunctions, but officials say there are no doubts about the integrity of the election.

There was plenty of drama and excitement in several races Tuesday night, even into Wednesday morning, but the election process itself was relatively quiet. Elections officials say that's a good thing, that the process played out the way it should.

Michelle Hawley is the Director of the Milwaukee County Election Commission. On Wednesday she said there were "No concerns so far. We actually had a smooth election day."

It was a common refrain. Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson said, "Well the process last night went really smoothly. We're really happy with it."

Meagan Wolfe, the Administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission said on election night that wasn't by accident. "It went smoothly because of the hard work and the planning of local election officials."

On Wednesday the process shifted from voting to verification. Each municipality delivered its ballots to the county to be stored in secure rooms.

Then starting Thursday, a dozen staffers will start canvassing the returns to verify the results.

Christenson said, "There's a series of checklists that they work through, very detail-oriented. It's of course open to the public."

Milwaukee County has until Nov. 22 to verify local results. The WEC will then certify the statewide results by Dec. 1.

Christenson said, "While maybe some of the excitement of the election night is over, there's still work going on by dedicated election workers here in Milwaukee County and every county in the state."

Officials encourage people to observe the canvassing process. They say they don't mind when people come down, get bored, and then leave, saying it's a sign the process is running smoothly.

Hawley said, "We want to represent the truth of the matter. We have the data, obviously, from the elections to support what the results are."

Officials say the past few years have been tough as they continually battle misinformation, but add their offices remain dedicated to fair and free elections.

Hawley said it's important to "[Have] integrity in the process. Having a loyalty and an honor and a duty to do this job. And I take it extremely seriously."

Every step of the election process has been open to the public, and that continues Thursday when canvassing begins at 9 a.m. Anyone wanting to observe can go to room G-7 in the Milwaukee County Courthouse.