Opinion ID: 1675170
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Certificate of elector.

Text: The appellant challenges the manner in which the certificates on 17 absentee voters' envelopes were executed. These 17 absentee ballots were cast in seven scattered voting precincts in the city of Wauwatosa. Nine of these were cast in the 3d precinct of the 8th ward, and six of these nine absentee ballots were apparently cast by residents of Luther Manor. Sixteen of these 17 absentee ballots were opened, combined with the other absentee ballots in the particular precincts and counted. There is no way to identify any absentee ballot with any particular absentee voter's envelope and no way to ascertain whether or not these voters voted for supervisor. Formerly, the requirement was that these ballots had to be sworn to before a notary public or a person authorized to administer oaths. Now the certificate or affidavit can be made and subscribed either before two witnesses or an officer authorized to administer oaths. Sec. 6.87 (4), Stats., provides as follows: (4) The elector voting absentee shall either make and subscribe to the affidavit before a person authorized to administer oaths or make and subscribe to the certification before 2 witnesses. The absent elector, in the presence of the administrator of the oath or witnesses, shall mark the ballot in a manner that will not disclose how the ballot is marked. The elector shall then, still in the presence of the administrator of the oath or the 2 witnesses, fold the ballots so each is separate and conceals the markings thereon and deposit them in the proper  envelope, but may receive assistance under sub. (5). The return envelope shall then be sealed. The witnesses or the official oath administrator shall not be a candidate. The envelope shall be mailed by the elector, postage prepaid, or delivered in person, to the municipal clerk issuing the ballot. Failure to return the unused ballot in a primary shall not invalidate the marked ballot. The absentee ballots that are the subject of this controversy were signed by two witnesses. Each challenged absentee ballot envelope has on the back a form which in part reads, I, _______ (certify) (do solemnly swear) .... with another space for the absentee voter's signature at the bottom and on the right-hand side of this certification paragraph and immediately above the statement to be executed by a notary public or officer authorized to administer oaths. The voters who completed these challenged certifications did not sign their names at the bottom of this paragraph where the space is provided for their signature but, instead, put their names in the space at the beginning of the paragraph. Below, and to the right of the voter's certification paragraph, is the affidavit form which can be completed by a notary public or officer authorized to administer oaths, in lieu of having two witnesses certify the absentee voter's signature. The officer's affidavit form was not used by these voters. However, we are of the opinion that one reason for the confusion on the part of these voters regarding the proper placement of their signature, stems from the fact that the voter certification paragraph and the officer's affidavit form are so located on the envelope that one could reasonably have concluded that the signature space between the two was part of the officer's affidavit and not for the certification of the voter's signature before two witnesses. Our conclusion is buttressed by the fact that those envelopes, which were subscribed to before an officer who completed the affidavit, have voter certifications signed in the proper  place. To further add to the confusion, the instructions on the end of the envelope state, Only one certificate need be signedNOT BOTH. In each instance the voter signed his name, although not in the specific place designated, and the signature was witnessed by two witnesses. We also observe that there is no pattern of similarity among the names of the various people who signed as two witnesses to each certification. Three of the 17 absentee ballot envelopes were executed by the respective voters by printing their names into the appropriate space. However, Lanser does not allege that the form of these signatures are improper; that is to say, that the voters were required to write their names instead of printing them. Also, there is no allegation or proof that these names were not in fact filled in by the respective voters themselves. Sec. 6.88 (3) (b), Stats., provides in part as follows: When the affidavit or certification is found to be insufficient, the applicant is not a qualified elector in the ward, the ballot envelope is open or has been opened and resealed, the ballot envelope contains more than one ballot of any one kind, or if due proof appears to the inspector that an absentee elector has since died, the vote shall not be accepted or counted .... (Emphasis supplied.) The trial court found that these absentee voters had substantially complied with the law and, therefore, their votes were properly counted. We agree. Sec. 6.87 (4), Stats., is derived from sec. 11.59. ( See Legislative Council Note, 1965, 1970 Wis. Annotations, p. 191.) In Schmidt v. West Bend Board of Canvassers (1962), 18 Wis. 2d 316, 323, 118 N. W. 2d 154, the court held: The provisions of secs. 11.58 and 11.59, Stats., are deemed to be directory and not mandatory. Petition of Anderson (1961), 12 Wis. (2d) 530, 534, 107 N. W. (2d)  496. See Sommerfeld v. Board of Canvassers (1955), 269 Wis. 299, 69 N. W. (2d) 235.... Subscribe is generally defined as ... to sign with one's own hand ... to attest by appending one's name .... Webster's, Third New International Dictionary, p. 2278. Sec. 990.01 (38), Stats., defines signature as follows: (38) SIGNATURE. If the signature of any person is required by law it shall always be the handwriting of such person or if he is unable to write, his mark or his name written by some person at his request and in his presence. Whether these three electors have written or printed their names to the certifications on their respective absentee ballot envelopes they have substantially complied with the requirements of sec. 6.87 (4), Stats. If they have not technically complied with that provision because it requires their signatures at the end of the certification, they have substantially complied with the law and their votes were properly counted. The seventeenth of these absentee voter's ballots, which is the one that has never been opened, was executed in the same manner as the 16 just previously considered. The signature of Mrs. C. E. Culbertson (Otillio) also appeared at the beginning of the certificate. Two witnesses signed the certification. On the front of the envelope this voter's name and return address are listed as follows: Mrs. C. E. Culbertson 10818 W. Fiebrantz Milwaukee, Wis. 53222. It would appear that this is the only absentee voter's envelope executed in this manner in the 2d precinct of the 8th ward of Wauwatosa. We are of the opinion that the trial court properly ruled that if the election commission determined that  Mrs. Culbertson was a properly registered voter that the ballot envelope certification substantially complied with the absentee voter statutory requirements and the ballot envelope should be opened and the ballots therein counted as cast by the elector. We conclude by quoting, with approval, a paragraph from the decision of the trial judge: The court should comment in this decision that the confusion and uncertainties caused as a result of this election could easily have been remedied by a proper instruction to the poll workers and inspectors and an insistence upon a compliance with the legal requirements concerning absentee voter ballots. It would appear that if there is any doubt or question concerning absentee voter ballots, that the election workers should set the particular absentee voter ballot envelope aside until such time as a proper determination can be made regarding compliance with the law. The acts and omissions of the election officials in this case have placed numerous electors in jeopardy of being disfranchised through no fault of their own. The city clerk of the city of Wauwatosa should seek legal advice from his city attorney regarding his responsibilities and duties concerning the handling of absentee voter ballots. A third issue raised by appellant concerns one absentee ballot in the 22d precinct of the 5th ward, city of Milwaukee. Since we have determined that the other absentee ballots which were challenged were, in fact, valid, it becomes unnecessary to reach this issue. ... This court is entitled to find moot and dismiss appeals where its ruling is no longer needed or makes no difference as to the resolution of a controversy. Appeals v. Halverson (1971), 50 Wis. 2d 230, 233, 184 N. W. 2d 99. See also: Look v. Zignego Contractors, Inc. (1970), 47 Wis. 2d 197, 177 N. W. 2d 127. A successful challenge to the one vote in the 22d precinct of the 5th ward would not change the results of the election, therefore, the issue is moot. By the Court. Judgment affirmed.