Wisconsin
Wisconsin election clerks referred 30 instances of suspected fraud to prosecutors over the past year
Madison, Wis. – Wisconsin election clerks referred 30 instances of suspected fraud and voting irregularities to prosecutors over the last year, according to a new report.
The nation’s multilayered election processes provide many safeguards that keep voter fraud generally detectable and rare, according to current and former election administrators for the Democratic and Republican parties. America’s elections also are decentralized into thousands of independent voting jurisdictions – Wisconsin, alone, has more than 1,800 local clerks – making it almost impossible to pull off a large-scale vote-rigging operation that could tip a race. But fraud does happen occasionally.
Wisconsin law requires clerks to inform the Wisconsin Election Commission whenever they refer a case of suspected fraud or some other voting irregularity to a district attorney. The commission, in turn, is required to compile the data into an annual report to the Legislature. The commission is poised to approve a report Friday that lists referrals made between July 1, 2023, and Sept. 12 of this year.
Eighteen referrals involved someone voting twice. Clerks in Milwaukee County reported seven instances of someone voting twice during the 2024 spring election and eight instances in the 2023 spring election. In each election, those people voted absentee in-person and by absentee mail ballot, according to the report.
Clerks in Douglas and Kenosha counties also reported a person voting twice in the 2024 spring election. In the Douglas County case, the person voted in-person and in-person absentee. In the Kenosha County case, the person voted in-person in two different municipalities. Clerks in Calumet County reported that someone voted twice in-person absentee in the 2024 partisan primary.
Kenosha County clerks also reported six instances of a felon registering to vote during the 2024 spring election. Polk County clerks referred a case of someone who voted in Wisconsin in the 2023 spring election after registering in another state. Douglas County also referred discrepancies between municipal and county totals for write-in candidates in the 2024 spring election to prosecutors.
The report does not identify anyone and does not include case dispositions.
The commission’s 2023 report showed that clerks referred 44 cases of suspected fraud to district attorneys between June 25, 2022, and June 30, 2023.
Wisconsin’s voting-age population stood at almost 4.7 million as of 2022, according to the elections commission.
Wisconsin
Cult-classic filmed in central Wisconsin returns to big screen, with enhancements, this weekend
STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAW) – A giant spider isn’t actually invading central Wisconsin this weekend.
But an enhanced, big-screen version of the cult-classic 1975 film The Giant Spider Invasion is crawling back into local theaters — and it’s bringing some central Wisconsin nostalgia with it.
The movie was famously filmed in Merrill and Stevens Point, and the updated 2026 release adds enhancements designed for a modern theatrical experience.
What’s new in the 2026 enhanced version?
Executive Producer J.B. Thompson says the team took the original 1975 film and enhanced it for the big screen in 2026, giving audiences a refreshed way to experience a movie that’s long been a Wisconsin oddity — and a point of pride.
Actor and Producer Dan Davies is featured in newly filmed scenes created specifically for this updated release.
Stevens Point’s role in the original film
While much of the film is associated with Merrill, Stevens Point Mayor Mike Wiza says Point also played a major role in the production — another reason the film’s return matters to local history buffs and movie fans alike.
Why does this movie still capture attention 50 years later?
Whether it’s the over-the-top creature feature story, the uniquely Wisconsin filming locations, or the nostalgia of seeing familiar places on screen, the group says the film’s staying power is real — even five decades later.
Screenings this weekend
The enhanced version of The Giant Spider Invasion is set for local screenings this weekend in Central and North Central Wisconsin. To purchase tickets for showings in Stevens Point, Marshfield or Waupaca, click here.
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Copyright 2026 WSAW. All rights reserved.
A Wisconsin man has been arrested in Colorado in connection with a fatal north suburban hit-and-run earlier this year that left a 50-year-old woman killed.
According to the Winthrop Harbor Police Department, Travis Kern, 35, of Pleasant Prairie, turned himself into police in Lakewood Colorado on an arrest warrant. Kern was charged with two felonies, police said, and remains in custody in Colorado pending extradition proceedings.
About 11:10 p.m. on February 26, a pedestrian was struck in the 1400 block of Sheridan Road in Winthrop Harbor by a driver of a vehicle heading northbound. The vehicle then fled the scene, police said.
The pedestrian, later identified as Shanna White, 50, of Waukegan, was transported to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.
According to court documents, Kern’s next scheduled court date is set for July 22.
WHITEWATER, Wis. (WMTV) – The Kids from Wisconsin troupe is kicking off its 56th annual tour this week.
Kids from Wisconsin is a traveling show with 22 singer-dancers and 14 band members. The troupe performs across Wisconsin, hosting workshops for kids and helping fundraise for youth arts programs.
This year’s theme is “America’s Soundtrack: The Pulse of a Nation.” The theme honors the 250th anniversary of America and features music by all-American composers, bands and performers.
Kids from Wisconsin bassist and student leader Alex Coller said that range is what makes this year’s tour stand out.
“The theme is really just celebrating American music. And I think it’s definitely one of the most cohesive and like diverse shows I have played with this organization,” Coller said. “Even though its just American music it’s really cool to see. Anyone no matter who you are, or what your musical background is, or whether you like music or not, there is something here for everyone to enjoy.”
Kids from Wisconsin’s artistic and choral director, Taras Nahirniak, said audiences won’t want to miss it.
“Find a show near you, you are not going to want to miss this show. It’s just spectacular, the kids are so talented,” Nahirniak said. “We are just finishing up our camp right now, and they are just working their tails off. To really go around the state and show the state what they have.”
The tour premieres Thursday night at Young Auditorium in Whitewater. For tickets, tour dates or to find a show, visit kidsfromwi.org.
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Copyright 2026 WMTV. All rights reserved.
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