County clerks from across the state were instructed Monday to begin the recount process for the Supreme Court election Wednesday morning and report results to the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board by May 9.

During a conference call between the GAB and the state’s county clerks Monday morning, officials provided instructions for the process and fielded questions from the clerks.

GAB spokesperson Reid Magney said county clerks might be taken aback by the heftiness of the recount, but the clerks should be prepared for the process and know such practices are part of the job. He said some clerks might be concerned about the closeness of the May 9 deadline in comparison with the size of the task.

“Recounts are something that is a part of life in elections, and it may not be based on our history as statewide recounts are very rare, but they are a fact of life in towns and villages and cities,” Magney said. “Clerks know these things can happen and we work very closely with clerks in preparing for these things.”

Still, Magney said the clerks were up against something they have not seen before.

Dane County Clerk Karen Peters said GAB officials directed the clerks to follow the exact same procedures in every county in the state, which she said is a change because in the past, clerks had a list of items they must complete and the state simply verified their completion with some actions able to be done ahead of time.

Peters said clerks from around Wisconsin are overwhelmed by the process and are uncertain of the proposed timeline from the GAB.

“Right at the moment, we’re just kind of overwhelmed – there’s no other way to put this, it’s such a huge undertaking,” Peters said. “I will guarantee you there will be people who will not be done by May 9 because it’s not humanly possible to have it done by then.”

If the results for individual counties are not completed by May 9, Magney said the GAB will request a judge grant permission for an extended deadline for specific counties.

The clerks have been given 13 days to essentially recount and recreate the April 5 election for the 158 reporting units, Peters said. She said clerks will be responsible for reporting back their progress on a nightly basis.

Peters said because of the potential for high public interest, onlookers in Dane County might be restricted based on available space.