The missing ballots were found “during post-election reconciliation and cleanup” and did not affect the outcome of any election, but they could have.

The City of Madison Clerk’s Office said it informed the state election board on Dec. 20 of the 193 missing absentee ballots and that they would contact each of the voters to notify them of the mistake.

The ballots were found in sealed carrier containers when the clerk’s office was going through its post-election process. The office has signaled it will make changes to avoid such a mistake in the future.