SB528,9,2417 7.10 (2) Preparing ballots. The county clerk shall prepare copy for the official
18ballots immediately upon receipt of the certified list of candidates' names from the
19commission. Names certified by the commission shall be arranged in the order
20certified. The county clerk shall place the names of all candidates filed in the clerk's
21office or certified to the clerk by the commission on the proper ballot or ballots under
22the appropriate office and party titles. The county clerk shall prepare a special ballot
23under s. 5.60 (8) showing only the candidates in the presidential preference primary.
24The county clerk shall prepare a special ballot under s. 5.62 (3m) showing only the

1candidates for the offices of U.S. senator and U.S. representative in Congress in the
2partisan primary.
SB528,16 3Section 16 . 7.50 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB528,10,114 7.50 (1) (b) When an elector casts more votes for any office or measure than he
5or she is entitled to cast at an election, all the elector's votes for that office or measure
6are invalid and the elector is deemed to have voted for none of them, except as
7provided in par. (c) and, sub. (2) (d), and s. 7.62 for the purpose of ranking candidates
8for instant runoff voting
. If an elector casts less votes for any office or measure than
9he or she is entitled to cast at an election, all votes cast by the elector shall be counted
10but no vote shall be counted more than once. Votes for the offices of U.S. senator and
11U.S. representative in Congress shall be counted as provided in s. 7.62.
SB528,17 12Section 17 . 7.50 (1) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB528,10,1613 7.50 (1) (c) If an elector casts more than one vote for the same candidate for the
14same office, the first vote is valid and the remaining votes are invalid. For the offices
15of U.S. senator and U.S. representative in Congress, as provided in s. 7.62, if an
16elector casts the same preference for more than one candidate, that ballot is invalid.
SB528,18 17Section 18. 7.50 (1) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB528,11,318 7.50 (1) (d) Whenever an electronic voting system is used at a polling place in
19a partisan primary, and the same ballot is utilized to cast votes for candidates of more
20than one recognized political party or candidates of a party and independent
21candidates, except with respect to the offices of U.S. senator and U.S. representative
22in Congress,
if an elector designates a preference for a party or for independent
23candidates, only votes cast within that preference category may be counted. If an
24elector does not designate a preference and makes a mark opposite candidates of
25more than one recognized political party or opposite a candidate in the independent

1candidates' column and a candidate of a recognized political party, no votes cast by
2the elector for any candidate for partisan office are valid. Votes for other candidates
3and votes on ballot questions, if any, shall be counted if otherwise valid.
SB528,19 4Section 19 . 7.60 (4) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB528,11,255 7.60 (4) (a) The board of canvassers shall make separate duplicate statements
6showing the numbers of votes cast for the offices of president and vice president; state
7officials; U.S. senators and representatives in congress Congress; state legislators;
8justice; court of appeals judge; circuit judges; district attorneys; and metropolitan
9sewerage commissioners, if the commissioners are elected under s. 200.09 (11) (am).
10If a municipal judge elected under s. 755.01 (4) serves a municipality that is located
11partially within the county and candidates for that judgeship file nomination papers
12in another county, the board of canvassers shall prepare a duplicate statement
13showing the numbers of votes cast for that judgeship in that county for transmittal
14to the other county. For partisan candidates, the statements shall include the
15political party or principle designation, if any, next to the name of each candidate.
16The board of canvassers shall also prepare a statement showing the results of any
17county, technical college district, or statewide referendum. Each statement shall
18state the total number of votes cast in the county for each office; the names of all
19persons for whom the votes were cast, as returned; the number of votes cast for each
20person; the number of round-by-round votes cast for each person receiving votes at
21a general election under s. 7.62 (3);
and the number of votes cast for and against any
22question submitted at a referendum. The board of canvassers shall use one copy of
23each duplicate statement to report to the elections commission, technical college
24district board, or board of canvassers of any other county and shall file the other
25statement in the office of the county clerk or board of election commissioners.
SB528,20
1Section 20. 7.60 (4) (c) of the statutes is renumbered 7.60 (4) (c) (intro.) and
2amended to read:
SB528,12,93 7.60 (4) (c) (intro.) In preparing the statements and determinations, the board
4of canvassers shall carefully review the tally sheets and inspectors' statement. The
5board of canvassers may omit the names of individuals whose names do not appear
6on the ballot and who receive a comparatively small number of votes. The board of
7canvassers shall designate votes received by such individuals as scattering votes.
8The board of canvassers shall append all of the following to each statement and
9determination a :
SB528,12,12 101. A tabulation of the votes cast at each election district, ward, or combination
11of wards authorized under s. 5.15 (6) (b) in the county for each office and each
12individual, whether the votes are canvassed or not, as well as the.
SB528,12,15 132. The total canvassed votes cast for each individual and each office, except
14where scattering votes are designated. If any votes are rejected, the board of
15canvassers shall specify the reasons therefor.
SB528,21 16Section 21 . 7.60 (4) (c) 3. of the statutes is created to read:
SB528,12,1917 7.60 (4) (c) 3. After elections at which instant runoff voting under s. 5.20 is used,
18the number of first-choice preferences and lesser-choice preferences cast for each
19individual for each office, indicating the numbers for each choice.
SB528,22 20Section 22 . 7.60 (4) (c) 4. of the statutes is created to read:
SB528,12,2221 7.60 (4) (c) 4. For each rejected vote, the board of canvassers' explanation for
22rejecting the vote.
SB528,23 23Section 23 . 7.62 of the statutes is created to read:
SB528,12,25 247.62 Canvass procedure for instant runoff voting. (1) Definitions. In
25this section:
SB528,13,2
1(a) “Active candidate” means any candidate under this section that has not
2been defeated or elected.
SB528,13,43 (b) “Exhausted ballot” means a ballot that does not contain a highest-ranked
4active candidate and is not an abstention or an overvote.
SB528,13,65 (c) “Highest-ranked active candidate” means the active candidate assigned to
6a higher ranking than any other active candidate.
SB528,13,87 (d) “Overvote” means an instance in which an elector has ranked more than one
8candidate at the same ranking.
SB528,13,119 (e) “Ranking” means the number assigned by an elector to a candidate to
10express the elector's preference for that candidate. The number “1” is the highest
11ranking, followed by “2,” then “3,” then “4,” and then “5.”
SB528,13,1312 (f) “Round” means an instance of the sequence of voting tabulation beginning
13with sub. (3) (a).
SB528,13,17 14(2) Tally sheets. The commission shall prescribe a tally sheet form for
15canvassing of the elections in which instant runoff voting under s. 5.20 is used. The
16inspectors shall use the form in preparing the returns and shall retain the form as
17a part of the official returns.
SB528,14,8 18(3) Tabulation; inactive ballots. In any election for an office conducted by
19instant runoff voting under s. 5.20, tabulation of the votes proceeds in rounds. Each
20ballot shall count as one vote for the highest-ranked active candidate on that ballot.
21If in any round the elector has indicated the same ranking for more than one
22candidate, the ballot for that round and all subsequent rounds is considered an
23overvote or exhausted ballot and not counted in that round and all subsequent
24rounds. If in any round the elector has skipped a ranking on their ballot, the elector's
25single vote shall be transferred to the next highest ranked candidate. If two rankings

1are skipped, that ballot is considered an inactive ballot. If in any round of tabulation
2a ballot does not contain a highest-ranked active candidate, that ballot shall be
3considered an overvote or exhausted ballot and not counted. If 2 or fewer active
4candidates remain, the active candidate with the greatest number of votes is elected,
5and the tabulation is complete. If more than 2 active candidates remain, the active
6candidate with the fewest votes is defeated, votes for the defeated candidate are
7transferred to each ballot's next-ranked active candidate, and a new round of
8tabulation begins.
SB528,14,16 9(4) Batch elimination. The chief election officer may modify the tabulation
10under sub. (3) to include batch elimination. If the tabulation includes batch
11elimination, then any time the active candidate with the fewest votes would be
12defeated under sub. (3), each active candidate in the elimination batch shall be
13simultaneously defeated instead. An active candidate is in the elimination batch if
14the number of elected and active candidates with more votes than that candidate is
15greater than the number of offices to be elected and it is mathematically impossible
16for that active candidate to be elected for any of the following reasons:
SB528,14,1717 (a) The active candidate has fewer votes than any other active candidate.
SB528,14,2018 (b) The active candidate's current vote total, plus all votes that could possibly
19be transferred to the active candidate in future rounds, would not be enough to equal
20or surpass the active candidate with the next highest current vote total.
SB528,14,2221 (c) The active candidate has a lower current vote total than an active candidate
22described under par. (b).
SB528,15,2 23(5) Ties. If 2 or more active candidates are tied with the fewest votes and
24tabulation under sub. (3) cannot continue until the active candidate with the fewest
25votes is defeated, then the active candidate to be defeated shall be determined by lot.

1Election officials may resolve prospective ties between active candidates prior to
2tabulation under sub. (3) after all votes are cast.
SB528,15,5 3(6) Transparency. The commission shall ensure that all tabulation records
4produced under this section, including the entire cast vote file record, are published
5on its website following an election conducted under this section.
SB528,24 6Section 24. 8.16 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 8.16 (1) (a) and amended to
7read:
SB528,15,128 8.16 (1) (a) Except as provided in par. (b) and sub. (2), the person who receives
9the greatest number of votes for an office on a party ballot at any partisan primary,
10regardless of whether the person's name appears on the ballot, shall be the party's
11candidate for the office, and the person's name shall so appear on the official ballot
12at the next election.
SB528,25 13Section 25. 8.16 (1) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
SB528,15,2414 8.16 (1) (b) The 5 persons who receive the greatest number of votes for the
15offices of U.S. senator and U.S. representative in Congress at any partisan primary
16shall be the persons whose names appear on the official ballot at the general election,
17except that if a candidate so nominated dies or becomes disqualified from holding the
18office for which the candidate is nominated, the vacancy shall be filled by the
19administrator by replacing the withdrawn candidate with the candidate who
20received the most votes at the partisan primary but did not qualify to advance to the
21general election. There may be fewer than 5 candidates on the ballot in the general
22election if fewer than 5 qualified candidates advance. Sufficient space shall be
23provided on the general election ballot for write-in candidates for the offices of U.S.
24senator and U.S. representative in Congress.
SB528,26 25Section 26. 8.50 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB528,16,13
18.50 (3) (b) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the provisions for the
2partisan primary under s. 8.15 are applicable to all partisan primaries held under
3this section, and the provisions for spring primaries under s. 8.10 are applicable to
4all nonpartisan primaries held under this section. In a special partisan primary or
5election, the order of the parties on the ballot shall be the same as provided under
6s. 5.62 (1) or 5.64 (1) (b). No primary is required for a nonpartisan election in which
7not more than 2 candidates for an office appear on the ballot or for a partisan election,
8other than for the offices of U.S. senator and U.S. representative in Congress,
in
9which not more than one candidate for an office appears on the ballot of each
10recognized political party. In every special election except a special election for
11nonpartisan state office where no candidate is certified to appear on the ballot, a
12space for write-in votes shall be provided on the ballot, regardless of whether a
13special primary is held.
SB528,27 14Section 27. 8.50 (3) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB528,16,2215 8.50 (3) (c) Notwithstanding ss. 5.37 (4), 5.91 (6) and 6.80 (2) (f), except with
16respect to the offices of U.S. senator and U.S. representative in Congress,
whenever
17a special partisan primary is held concurrently with the presidential preference
18primary, an elector may choose the party column or ballot in which the elector will
19cast his or her vote separately for each of the 2 primaries. Whenever 2 or more special
20partisan primaries or one or more special partisan primaries and a partisan primary
21are held concurrently, the procedure prescribed in ss. 5.37 (4), 5.91 (6) and 6.80 (2)
22(f) applies.
SB528,28 23Section 28 . 10.02 (3) (b) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB528,17,424 10.02 (3) (b) 2. At a partisan primary, the elector shall select the party ballot
25of his or her choice, other than with respect to the offices of U.S. senator and U.S.

1representative in Congress,
and shall make a cross (X) next to or depress the lever
2or button next to the candidate's name for each office for whom the elector intends
3to vote, or shall, if applicable, insert or write in the name of the elector's choice for
4a candidate.
SB528,29 5Section 29. Initial applicability.
SB528,17,66 (1) This act first applies to the 2024 partisan primary and general election.
SB528,17,77 (End)
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