Election Commission Deputy Director Accused of Election Fraud, Sending Ballots to State Rep’s Home

The deputy director of the Milwaukee Election Commission was fired after allegedly sending fake ballots to a state representative, the city’s mayor announced Thursday.

Kimberly Zapata, the deputy director of the city’s election commission, allegedly directed the fictitious military ballots from a state election website to the state representative, and has been “forthcoming about her actions,” Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson tweeted. Republican State Rep. Janel Brandtjen found Oct. 28 that three military ballots had been sent to her residence, all featuring the first name “Holly” with different surnames.

Brandtjen surmised that the ballots likely did not reference real individuals, delivering them unopened to the Waukesha County Sheriff for investigation.

“It does not matter that this alleged crime did not take place at work,” Johnson insisted, saying he learned of the matter Wednesday. “It does not matter that City of Milwaukee ballots were not part of this. Nor does it matter that there was no attempt to vote illegally or tamper with election results.”

The City of Milwaukee has removed the Deputy Director of our Election Commission following stunning information about allegations against her.

I was told yesterday that she apparently sought fictitious military ballots from a state election website and had those ballots..

— Mayor Cavalier Johnson (@MayorOfMKE) November 3, 2022