WKOW:

The Madison city clerk, Maribeth Witzel-Behl, has been placed on paid administrative leave ahead of the April 1 spring general election. 

In an email sent to some election workers Wednesday morning, a worker at the clerk’s office described the leave as “a surprise.” She said this decision is related to the investigation into how 193 absentee ballots weren’t counted in the November general election. 

“The Mayor’s Office wants to make sure that the results for the April Election cannot be questioned,” the email reads. “So, they decided to put Maribeth on leave until after the election.”

According to that email, city attorney Michael Haas will serve as acting city clerk. He previously worked at the state elections agency for 12 years. He will continue to serve as the city attorney during this period.

In a release, the city said Witzel-Behl will be on leave “pending the outcome of the City’s investigation into uncounted absentee ballots during the November election and other aspects of her performance.” The mayor’s office said it would provide an update on the progress of the investigation “as soon as possible.”…