LRB-0368/3
JTK:kg:km
1999 - 2000 LEGISLATURE
August 10, 1999 - Introduced by Senators Risser, Rude and Huelsman,
cosponsored by Representatives Ziegelbauer, Kelso, Berceau, Gronemus,
Schooff, Hasenohrl, Carpenter, Porter, Wasserman, Gunderson, Musser,
Ryba
and Staskunas. Referred to Committee on Economic Development,
Housing and Government Operations.
SB216,1,7 1An Act to repeal 5.35 (6) (b), 5.51 (7), 5.81 (4), 5.91 (6), 7.50 (1) (d) and 8.50 (3)
2(c); to renumber 5.35 (6) (a); and to amend 5.02 (16m), 5.15 (6) (b), 5.37 (4),
35.62 (1) and (2), 5.62 (3) and (5), 5.84 (1), 5.91 (1) and (3), 6.80 (2) (f), 6.87 (4),
47.08 (2) (b), 7.50 (2) (g), 8.16 (1), (6) and (7), 8.17 (1) (a), 8.20 (9), 8.50 (3) (b), 9.10
5(3) (e), 10.02 (3) (b) 2. and 2m., 11.31 (3m) and 15.61 of the statutes; relating
6to:
authorization for electors to vote in the primary of more than one political
7party.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Presently, a voter in a partisan primary election may cast a ballot or vote in the
column of only one political party, regardless of the number of candidates who are
running for office in that party, if any. Alternatively, a voter in the September
primary may vote for any of the independent candidates for state office, but if the
voter chooses this option, he or she may not vote for any party candidates for any
office. (Candidates of minor parties appear on the ballot as independent candidates.)
This bill permits a voter in the September primary and other partisan
primaries to "split tickets", designating the candidate of his or her choice for each

office regardless of party affiliation, including the offices of governor and lieutenant
governor. The bill also allows a voter to vote for independent candidates for state
offices in the September primary, in addition to party candidates. Under the bill, a
voter may still vote for only one candidate for each office. The voting procedure at
the general election and other partisan elections is unaffected by the bill.
The bill initially applies to voting at the 2000 September primary election.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB216, s. 1 1Section 1. 5.02 (16m) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB216,2,42 5.02 (16m) "Recognized political party" means a political party which qualifies
3for a separate ballot or column or row on partisan primary and election ballots under
4s. 5.62 (1) (b) or (2).
SB216, s. 2 5Section 2. 5.15 (6) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB216,3,96 5.15 (6) (b) No later than 60 days before each September primary and general
7election, and no later than 30 days before each other election the governing body of
8any municipality may by resolution combine 2 or more wards for voting purposes to
9facilitate using a common polling place. Whenever wards are so combined, the
10original ward numbers shall continue to be utilized for all official purposes. Except
11as otherwise authorized under this paragraph, every municipality having a
12population of 50,000 or more, or 35,000 or more after June 1, 1996, shall maintain
13separate returns for each ward so combined. In municipalities having a population
14of less than 50,000, or less than 35,000 after June 1, 1996, the governing body may
15provide in the resolution that returns shall be maintained only for each group of
16combined wards at any election. In municipalities having a population as shown in
17the 1990 federal decennial census of at least 87,000 but not more than 150,000, the
18governing body may provide in a resolution adopted prior to June 1, 1996 that groups
19of not more than 2 wards shall use common ballot boxes and ballots or voting

1machines and that returns shall be maintained only for each group of combined
2wards at any election held prior to June 1, 1996. Whenever a governing body
3provides for common ballot boxes and ballots or voting machines, separate returns
4shall be maintained for each separate ballot required under ss. 5.62 and s. 5.64 at
5the September primary and general election. The municipal clerk shall transmit a
6copy of the resolution to the county clerk of each county in which the municipality
7is contained. In municipalities having a population of less than 50,000, or less than
835,000 after June 1, 1996, the resolution shall remain in effect for each election until
9modified or rescinded, or until a new division is made under this section.
SB216, s. 3 10Section 3. 5.35 (6) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 5.35 (6).
SB216, s. 4 11Section 4. 5.35 (6) (b) of the statutes is repealed.
SB216, s. 5 12Section 5. 5.37 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB216,3,2213 5.37 (4) Voting machines may be used at primary elections when they comply
14with subs. (1) and (2) and the following provisions: All candidates' names. Each
15candidate's name
entitled to appear on the ballots ballot at the primary and the party
16that he or she represents
shall appear on the machine; the elector cannot vote for
17candidates of more than one party, whenever the restriction applies, and an elector
18who votes for candidates of any party may not vote for independent candidates at the
19September primary; the elector may secretly select the party for which he or she
20wishes to vote, or the independent candidates in the case of the September primary;
21the
. The elector may vote for as many candidates for each office as he or she is
22lawfully entitled to vote for, but no more.
SB216, s. 6 23Section 6. 5.51 (7) of the statutes is repealed.
SB216, s. 7 24Section 7. 5.62 (1) and (2) of the statutes are amended to read:
SB216,4,21
15.62 (1) (a) At September primaries, the following ballot shall be provided for
2the nomination of candidates of recognized political parties for national, state and
3county offices and independent candidates for state office in each ward, in the same
4form as prescribed by the board under s. 7.08 (1) (a). The ballots shall be made up
5of the several party tickets with each party entitled to participate in the primary
6under par. (b) or sub. (2) having its own ballot column. The independent candidates
7for state office other than district attorney shall have a separate ballot column for
8all such candidates as under s. 5.64 (1) (e). The ballots shall be secured together at
9the bottom.
The party ballot column of the party receiving the most votes for
10president or governor at the last general election shall be on top first with the other
11parties arranged in descending order based on their vote for president or governor
12at the last general election. The ballots columns of parties qualifying under sub. (2)
13shall be placed after to the right of the parties qualifying under par. (b), in the same
14order in which the parties filed petitions with the board. The ballot column listing
15the independent candidates shall be placed at the bottom last. At polling places
16where voting machines are used, each party and the independent candidates shall
17be represented in one or more separate columns or rows on the ballot. At polling
18places where an electronic voting system is used other than an electronic voting
19machine, each party and the independent candidates may be represented in separate
20columns or rows on the ballot. Any elector at any September primary may vote for
21any candidate for each office regardless of the political affiliation of the candidate.
SB216,5,1322 (b) Every recognized political party listed on the official ballot at the last
23gubernatorial election whose candidate for any statewide office received at least one
24percent of the total votes cast for that office and, if the last general election was also
25a presidential election, every recognized political party listed on the ballot at that

1election whose candidate for president received at least one percent of the total vote
2cast for that office shall have a separate primary ballot or one or more separate
3columns or rows on the primary ballot as prescribed in par. (a) and a separate column
4on the general election
ballot at the September primary and general election in every
5ward and election district. An organization which was listed as "independent" at the
6last general election and whose candidate meets the same qualification shall receive
7the same ballot status upon petition of the chairperson and secretary of the
8organization to the board requesting such status and specifying their party name,
9which may not duplicate the name of an existing party. A petition under this
10paragraph may be filed no later than 5 p.m. on June 1 in the year of each general
11election. This paragraph applies to a party only if at least one candidate of the party
12for a state office qualifies to have his or her name appear on the ballot under the name
13of the party at the last gubernatorial election.
SB216,6,2 14(2) Any political organization may be represented on a separate primary ballot
15or
in one or more separate columns or rows on the September primary ballot as
16prescribed in sub. (1) (a) and a separate column or row on the general election ballot
17in every ward and election district if, not later than 5 p.m. on June 1 in the year of
18a September primary, it files with the board a petition so requesting. To qualify for
19a separate ballot column or row, the petition shall be signed by at least 10,000
20electors, including at least 1,000 electors residing in each of at least 3 separate
21congressional districts. The petition shall conform to the requirements of s. 8.40. No
22signature obtained before January 1 in the year of filing is valid. When the
23candidates of a political organization filing a valid petition fulfill the requirements
24prescribed by law, they shall appear on a separate ballot or in one or more separate

1columns or rows on the ballot for the period ending with the following general
2election.
SB216, s. 8 3Section 8. 5.62 (3) and (5) of the statutes are amended to read:
SB216,6,134 5.62 (3) The board shall designate the official primary ballot arrangement for
5statewide offices and district attorney within each prosecutorial district by using the
6same procedure as provided in s. 5.60 (1) (b). On each ballot and on each separate
7column or row on the ballot, the candidates for office shall be listed together with the
8offices which they seek in the following order whenever these offices appear on the
9September primary ballot: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general,
10secretary of state, state treasurer, U.S. senator, U.S. representative in congress,
11state senator, representative to the assembly, district attorney and the county offices.
12Below the names of the independent candidates shall appear the party or principle
13of the candidates, if any, in 5 words or less, as shown on their nomination papers.
SB216,6,19 14(5) At the September primary, an elector may vote for the candidates of only
15one party, or the elector may vote for any of the independent candidates for state
16office listed; but the elector may not vote for more than one candidate for a single
17office.
A space shall be provided on the ballot for an elector to write in the name of
18his or her choice as a party candidate for any office, but no space shall be provided
19to write in the names of independent candidates.
SB216, s. 9 20Section 9. 5.81 (4) of the statutes is repealed.
SB216, s. 10 21Section 10. 5.84 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB216,7,1522 5.84 (1) Where any municipality employs an electronic voting system which
23utilizes automatic tabulating equipment, either at the polling place or at a central
24counting location, the municipal clerk shall, on any day not more than 10 days prior
25to the election day on which the equipment is to be utilized, have the equipment

1tested to ascertain that it will correctly count the votes cast for all offices and on all
2measures. Public notice of the time and place of the test shall be given by the clerk
3at least 48 hours prior to the test by publication of a class 1 notice under ch. 985 in
4one or more newspapers published within the municipality if a newspaper is
5published therein, otherwise in a newspaper of general circulation therein. The test
6shall be open to the public. The test shall be conducted by processing a preaudited
7group of ballots so punched or marked as to record a predetermined number of valid
8votes for each candidate and on each referendum. The test shall include for each
9office one or more ballots which have votes in excess of the number allowed by law
10and, for a partisan primary election, one or more ballots which have votes cast for
11candidates of more than one recognized political party,
in order to test the ability of
12the automatic tabulating equipment to reject such votes. If any error is detected, the
13municipal clerk shall ascertain the cause and correct the error. The clerk shall make
14an errorless count before the automatic tabulating equipment is approved by the
15clerk for use in the election.
SB216, s. 11 16Section 11. 5.91 (1) and (3) of the statutes are amended to read:
SB216,7,1917 5.91 (1) It enables an elector to vote in secrecy and to select the party or the
18independent candidates for whom an elector will vote in secrecy at a partisan
19primary election
.
SB216,7,24 20(3) Except in primary elections, it It enables an elector to vote for a ticket
21selected in part from the nominees of one party, and in part from the nominees of
22other parties, and in part from independent candidates and, except in the case of
23independent candidates at primary elections,
in part of candidates whose names are
24written in by the elector.
SB216, s. 12 25Section 12. 5.91 (6) of the statutes is repealed.
SB216, s. 13
1Section 13. 6.80 (2) (f) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB216,8,112 6.80 (2) (f) In the presidential preference primary and other partisan primary
3elections
at polling places where ballots are distributed to electors, unless the ballots
4are utilized with an electronic voting system in which all candidates appear on the
5same ballot, after the elector prepares his or her ballot the elector shall detach the
6remaining ballots, fold the ballots to be discarded, fold the completed ballot unless
7the ballot is intended for counting with automatic tabulating equipment, personally
8deposit the ballots to be discarded in the separate ballot box marked "blank ballot
9box", and deposit the completed ballot in the ballot box indicated by the inspectors.
10The inspectors shall keep the blank ballot box locked until the canvass is completed
11and shall dispose of the blank ballots as prescribed by the municipal clerk.
SB216, s. 14 12Section 14. 6.87 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB216,9,413 6.87 (4) Except as otherwise provided in s. 6.875, the elector voting absentee
14shall either make and subscribe to the affidavit before a person authorized to
15administer oaths or make and subscribe to the certification before 2 witnesses. The
16absent elector, in the presence of the administrator of the oath or witnesses, shall
17mark or punch the ballot in a manner that will not disclose how the elector's vote is
18cast. The elector shall then, still in the presence of the administrator of the oath or
19the 2 witnesses, fold the ballots if they are paper ballots so each is separate and
20conceals the markings or punches thereon and deposit them in the proper envelope,
21but may receive assistance under sub. (5). The return envelope shall then be sealed.
22The witnesses or the official oath administrator may not be a candidate. The
23envelope shall be mailed by the elector, postage prepaid, or delivered in person, to the
24municipal clerk issuing the ballot. Failure to return an unused ballot in a primary
25does not invalidate the ballot on which the elector's votes are cast. Return of more

1than one marked or punched ballot in a primary or return of a ballot used with an
2electronic voting system in a primary which is marked or punched for candidates of
3more than one party invalidates all votes cast by the elector for candidates in the
4primary.
SB216, s. 15 5Section 15. 7.08 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB216,9,106 7.08 (2) (b) The certified list of candidates for president and vice president who
7have been
nominated at a national convention by a party entitled to a separate
8column or row on the
September primary ballot or for whom electors have been
9nominated under s. 8.20 shall be sent as soon as possible after the closing date for
10filing nomination papers, but no later than the deadlines established in s. 10.06.
SB216, s. 16 11Section 16. 7.50 (1) (d) of the statutes is repealed.
SB216, s. 17 12Section 17. 7.50 (2) (g) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB216,9,1513 7.50 (2) (g) In partisan primaries, if an elector writes in the name of an
14individual on a ballot in a column or row other than the one on which that individual's
15name is shown as a candidate, the write-in vote may not be counted.
SB216, s. 18 16Section 18. 8.16 (1), (6) and (7) of the statutes are amended to read:
SB216,9,2317 8.16 (1) Except as provided in sub. (2), the person who receives the greatest
18number of votes for an office on a party ballot at any partisan primary, regardless of
19whether the person's name appears on the ballot, shall be the party's candidate for
20the office, and the person's name shall so appear on the official ballot at the next
21election. All independent candidates shall appear on the general election ballot
22regardless of the number of votes received by such candidates at the September
23primary.
SB216,9,25 24(6) The persons who receive the greatest number of votes respectively for the
25offices of governor and lieutenant governor on for any party ballot at a primary shall

1be the party's joint candidates for the offices, and their names shall so appear on the
2official ballot at the next election.
SB216,10,9 3(7) Nominees chosen at a national convention and under s. 8.18 (2) by each
4party entitled to a separate column or row on a September primary ballot shall be
5the party's candidates for president, vice president and presidential electors. The
6state or national chairperson of each such party shall certify the names of the party's
7nominees for president and vice president to the board no later than 5 p.m. on the
8first Tuesday in September preceding a presidential election. Each name shall be in
9one of the formats authorized in s. 7.08 (2) (a).
SB216, s. 19 10Section 19. 8.17 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB216,11,311 8.17 (1) (a) Political parties qualifying for a separate column or row on the
12September primary
ballot under s. 5.62 (1) (b) or (2) shall elect their party
13committeemen and committeewomen at the September primary. The function of
14committeemen and committeewomen is to represent their neighborhoods in the
15structure of a political party. Committeemen and committeewomen shall act as
16liaison representatives between their parties and the residents of the election
17districts in which they serve. Activities of committeemen and committeewomen
18shall include, but not be limited to, voter identification; assistance in voter
19registration drives; increasing voter participation in political parties; polling and
20other methods of passing information from residents to political parties and elected
21public officials; and dissemination of information from public officials to residents.
22For assistance in those and other activities of interest to a political party, each
23committeeman and committeewoman may appoint a captain to engage in these
24activities in each ward, if the election district served by the committeeman or
25committeewoman includes more than one ward. In an election district which

1includes more than one ward, the committeeman or committeewoman shall
2coordinate the activities of the ward captains in promoting the interests of his or her
3party.
SB216, s. 20 4Section 20. 8.20 (9) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB216,11,135 8.20 (9) Persons nominated by nomination papers without a recognized
6political party designation shall be placed on the official ballot at the general election
7and at any partisan election to the right or below the recognized political party
8candidates in their own column or row designated "Independent". At the September
9primary, persons nominated for state office by nomination papers without a
10recognized political party designation shall be placed on a separate ballot column or
11or row on the voting machine ballot designated "Independent". If the candidate's
12name already appears under a recognized political party it may not be listed on the
13independent ballot, column or row.
SB216, s. 21 14Section 21. 8.50 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB216,12,215 8.50 (3) (b) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the provisions for
16September primaries under s. 8.15 are applicable to all partisan primaries held
17under this section, and the provisions for spring primaries under s. 8.10 are
18applicable to all nonpartisan primaries held under this section. In a special partisan
19primary or election, the order of the parties on the ballot shall be the same as
20provided under s. 5.62 (1) or 5.64 (1) (b). Independent candidates for state office at
21a special partisan election shall not appear on the primary ballot. No primary is
22required for a nonpartisan election in which not more than 2 candidates for an office
23appear on the ballot or for a partisan election in which not more than one candidate
24for an office appears on in the ballot column or row of each recognized political party
25on the ballot. In every special election except a special election for nonpartisan state

1office where no candidate is certified to appear on the ballot, a space for write-in
2votes shall be provided on the ballot, regardless of whether a special primary is held.
SB216, s. 22 3Section 22. 8.50 (3) (c) of the statutes is repealed.
SB216, s. 23 4Section 23. 9.10 (3) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB216,12,125 9.10 (3) (e) For any partisan office, a recall primary shall be held for each
6political party which is entitled to a separate column or row on the September
7primary
ballot under s. 5.62 (1) (b) or (2) and from which more than one candidate
8competes for the party's nomination in the recall election. The primary ballot shall
9be prepared in accordance with s. 5.62, insofar as applicable. The person receiving
10the highest number of votes in the recall primary for each political party shall be that
11party's candidate in the recall election. Independent candidates shall be shown on
12the ballot for the recall election only.
SB216, s. 24 13Section 24. 10.02 (3) (b) 2. and 2m. of the statutes are amended to read:
SB216,12,1814 10.02 (3) (b) 2. At a special partisan primary, the elector shall select the party
15ballot
candidate of his or her choice for each office and shall make a cross (8) in the
16square at the right of or depress the lever or button next to the candidate's name for
17each office for whom the elector intends to vote, or shall insert or write in the name
18of the elector's choice for a candidate.
SB216,13,219 2m. At the September primary, the elector shall select the party ballot
20candidate of his or her choice or the ballot containing the names of the independent
21candidates
for state each office, and make a cross (8 ) in the square at the right of or
22depress the lever or button next to the candidate's name for each office for whom the
23elector intends to vote or insert or write in the name of the elector's choice for a party
24candidate, if any. In order to qualify for participation in the Wisconsin election
25campaign fund, a candidate for state office at the September primary, other than a

1candidate for district attorney, must receive at least 6% of all votes cast on all ballots
2for the office for which he or she is a candidate, in addition to other requirements.
SB216, s. 25 3Section 25. 11.31 (3m) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB216,13,154 11.31 (3m) Unopposed candidates; exception. Notwithstanding subs. (1) and
5(2), if all candidates for state senator or representative to the assembly in a
6legislative district who are certified under s. 7.08 (2) (a) to appear in the columns or
7rows
on the September primary ballot of all parties recognized under s. 5.62 (1) (b)
8or (2) have no opponent who is certified to appear on the same primary ballot, or if
9no primary is required for all candidates of parties recognized under s. 5.62 (1) (b)
10or (2) for state senator or representative to the assembly in a legislative district who
11are certified under s. 8.50 (1) (d) to appear on a special partisan election ballot, then
12the separate limitation specified in sub. (1) for disbursements during the primary
13and election period does not apply to candidates for that office in that primary and
14election, and the candidates are bound only by the total limitations specified for the
15primary and election.
SB216, s. 26 16Section 26. 15.61 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB216,13,24 1715.61 Elections board; creation. There is created an elections board
18consisting of persons who shall be appointed by the governor for 2-year terms as
19follows: one member selected by the governor; one member each designated by the
20chief justice of the supreme court, the speaker of the assembly, the senate majority
21leader, the minority leader in each house of the legislature, and the chief officer of
22each political party qualifying for a separate column or row on the September
23primary
ballot under s. 5.62 (1) (b) or (2) whose candidate for governor received at
24least 10% of the vote in the most recent gubernatorial election.
SB216, s. 27 25Section 27. Initial applicability.
SB216,14,2
1(1) This act first applies with respect to voting at the 2000 September primary
2election.
SB216,14,33 (End)
Loading...
Loading...